Jyushimatsu walked into the back of the tent without warning, tears running down his cheeks.

"I don't want Ichimatsu to be in pain anymore!" Jyushimatsu cried out, tugging on Todomajo's cloak. "Don't take me for payment...put all of Ichimatsu's pain on me!"

Todomajo's snobby expression softened, pitying the small child. He had absolutely no idea how much Jyushimatsu had cared for and loved his older brothers.

"I want Karamatsu and Ichimatsu to be happy!" Jyushimatsu cried out. "So take me instead! Take all their pain and put it on me! I don't care how much it will hurt...I don't care if I die. I just want to see Ichimatsu smile again! I always loved making him smile! I want him to be happy!"

Jyushimatsu cried out loudly, burying his face in the witch's cloak, his tears soaking the thick fabric all the way through.

"Now, now..." Todomajo soothed, rubbing the little boy's head, hoping to calm him down. Despite how much he hated humanity, something about this boy reminded him of how he felt when had been a child. "If this is really what you want, I'll have to summon Osoma. I can't do things like his on my own. Are you alright with seeing the devil himself?"

Jyushimatsu nodded his head, though his face was still hidden in the witch's cloak.

"Just a moment then," Todomajo said kindly, pushing the boy away from him as he walked outside. "Stay in here. I'll let you watch Ichimatsu on my crystal ball if you'd like."

Jyushimatsu shook his head.

"Why not?" Todomajo asked.

I don't want to see Ichimatsu nii-san suffer anymore," he replied quietly.

A smile crept across Todomajo's face as he left the tent.

Jyushimatsu listened closely to the chants Todomajo was saying from outside, trying to summon his best friend.

It sounded like he was saying random words, but any sane person would know...that wasn't the case.

And with the loud sound of explosion, Todomajo ran back into the tent, grabbing Jyushimatsu's wrist, and pulling the boy outside again with him.

Behold, before Jyushimatsu's eyes stood a man who looked just like Todomajo, only his expression was even stupider, clearly showing he was attempting to look strong and threatening.

"This is Jyushimatsu," Todomajo said, bowing down before his friend. "He wants the pain of his brothers to be placed on him."

"Oh?" Osoma said, scratching under his nose a little, grinning 'darkly'. "And you don't wish to know the consequences of this?"

Jyushimatsu shook his head.

"I don't care what it is!" he exclaimed boldly, though his eyes were wide with fear.

Osoma and Todomajo both rested their hands on Jyushimatsu's head, praying curses down upon the little boy, not waiting for him to say another word.

In an instant, Jyushimatsu felt buckets upon buckets of pain washing over him, causing him to grow so weak that he fell to the ground, rolling down into the river.

"Grab him!" Osoma ordered, even though he didn't care if the boy was alive or not.

Todomajo ran down to the river and quickly lifted the boy out of the ice, cold waters.

Shivering and screaming out in pain, Jyushimatsu curled up in Todomajo's arms, his body twitching unnaturally.

"Should I take him to that peasant?" Todomajo I said, though he was trembling, regretting having done this to the innocent child.

Osoma shook his head.

"Don't do that. We shouldn't be held accountable for this. The child asked for it, therefore, allow him to suffer," Osoma spat, pulling out his gun. "But, my work here is done now. I'll see you later."

Osoma tossed the gun at Todomajo, snapped his fingers, then vanished from thin air.