Holding your enemy at gunpoint can prove to be foolhardy and dangerous. They could think you don't plan on killing them and grow bold, which could eventually lead to the positions being reversed. He knew that all too well, yet... The one before him was smiling so innocently, as if having the barrel of a magnum pointed at his forehead didn't faze him at all. He didn't know why, but he couldn't bring himself to press on the trigger, even as he felt his restraints tightening to the point where his hand felt numb. He didn't know how much longer he would still be able to point his gun at that kid.

"Will you be my friend?"

He froze as the words echoed in the empty chamber. His eyes were wide as he kept them on the child, whose smile hadn't faltered. He had no idea where that kid had come from. He had been chasing those goddesses, killing them merrily with his gun, until they brought him to this room and retaliated, imprisoning him in vines or wires of some sort. As he was trying to free himself, suddenly that child appeared from out of nowhere and simply stood there iddly, smiling innocently at him. It had unnerved him at first, but there was just something about that child...

"If you were my friend, I'd give you my strength and you would be able to escape."

His restraints finally managed to get his gun out of his hand and he screamed as his arm was pulled roughly to his side.

"Leave me alone already! Don't you have friends you can play with or something!"

He hadn't really meant to be this rough, but his present situation didn't allow him much time or freedom. Any time now, he expected to feel his arms and legs pop out of their sockets before being torn away.

"I don't."

He froze at that. The boy wasn't smiling anymore, yet he didn't look really sad. More like... lonely. He had seen lots of expressions in his life before, agony, despair, hatred... but never had he seen so much loneliness. Suddenly he understood. This was no child he had before him, but the fearsome Lonesome Devil he had so heard about, who supposedly lived in the south, where his hunt had taken him. Truly a monster, so lonely that he seemed to be dying, is what the rumors had told. He had never really put any faith in those rumors, but now that he had the real thing in front of him...

"Will you really give me your strength? Even though it might destroy you?"

The Devil smiled innocently again.

"Sure! You're the first friend I've ever had, so I don't mind."

Suddenly his restraints vanished and he fellto the ground. The Devil approached him, passing a hand through his hair with that same smile on his face. He could feel power being emitted from those fingertips. He needed more power! Without so much as a warning, he pushed the Devil to the dirty floor and undressed him hurriedly, his mouth seeking the other one's hungrily. Never did the Devil emit so much as a complaint, never did he raise so much as a hand to try and stop him. Not as he was kissed like there was no tomorrow, nor as he was bitten and his blood got sucked, nor as he was taken, raw, on the stone floor of the abandoned house. He only asked more, though timidly, and smiled that innocent smile. When the sun came up, both got dressed again.

"It matters not to me where you are going, my Mad Hero, for I shall follow you to the ends of this world."

The Hero froze on the room's threshold as he heard the Devil behind him shuffle, as though crawling closer.

"Should you really still be telling me that?"

As he looked over his shoulder, all that met him was that same smile and for the first time he realized it wasn't a smile of innocence at all, but a smile of loneliness.

"You are my first and only friend. If it meant I could be of use to you, I would gladly give you the rest of my powers, though I know it will destroy me."

The Hero turned back. A part of him yelled that this was wrong, but the biggest part smiled evilly, as it meant he could have a backup plan in case he came across some difficulty.

"Hurry up then, Lonesome Devil..."

"Yes!"

He could hear a touch of true happiness in that simple reply, and a gleeful smile slipped onto his own lips as he thought about his goal and taking the rest of the Devil's powers...