Liveman, No Dawn for Red!

The battle is long lost, but Red Falcon Liveman still breathes. Still fights. Still hopes. But hope is a fragile thing, and hope alone will not stop the enemy from dragging him to the darkest depths of despair. Fire has always been his ally—his passion, his strength. But fire is only as merciful as its wielder, and in this nightmare, it is not his to command. The final horror unfolds in a place where time does not exist, where suffering never ends, and where the greatest torment of all is knowing he will never escape.

What burns longer—the fire… or the soul?

Special thanks to my loyal and royal patron friends:

Aimi

Nikos

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泽凯 张

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A

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kasa41

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Tuck Lee

Matthew Thom

fumitsu

kasa41

俊介 星野

にとり 河城

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시우 성

Nathaniel Grayson

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Mike020578

Golden crisp with a hint of red!

The void had swallowed him. The world was gone. But Yuusuke was still here.

He could feel his body moving, but not by his own will. Every muscle twitched, convulsed, locked, and spasmed, his limbs jerking at odd angles, his head lolling slightly, his chest heaving in erratic bursts. His breath stuttered, half-gasps, half-sobs, the sound catching in his throat as he stumbled forward, his boots scraping against the cold, uneven stone floor.

His arms swung stiffly, like a puppet yanked forward by invisible strings. His fingers flexed and curled, twitching as if grasping for something that wasn’t there, his gloved hands shaking against his own resistance. He tried to plant his feet, to dig his heels into the floor, to stop, to resist— but his body betrayed him, forcing him to march forward with stiff, robotic movements.

He was being controlled. The Baron’s power wound itself around him, wrapping through his very bones like a thousand invisible chains, forcing him to move even as his body fought against itself. His helmeted head twitched, the weight of his own movements unnatural, his breath hitching as he was dragged step by agonizing step toward whatever fate awaited him.

And all around him, they followed. Junichi, Jou, and Megumi crawled on all fours, their bodies hunched like beasts, their fingers curled into claws, their golden eyes burning with unnatural hunger. Their movements were erratic, twitchy, bodies shuddering with excitement, their tongues flicking out between sharp fangs as drool dripped onto the stone beneath them.

"OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH, LOOK AT HIM, LOOK AT HIM, LOOK AT HIM GOOOOOO~!" Megumi howled, her head jerking violently, her breath coming in erratic gasps as her fingers scraped against the floor, her nails dragging deep, curling into the cracks in the stone. "THE MIGHTY, MIGHTY RED FALCON—OHHH, BUT HE CAN’T FLY! LOOK AT HIM STUMBLE! LOOK AT HIM TWITCH! HE’S JUST A—" her breath hitched, her body shivering with pleasure, her golden eyes rolling back before she shrieked in pure, delirious laughter, "—JUST A PATHETIC LITTLE BROKEN THING!"

Junichi lurched forward suddenly, his face inches from Yuusuke’s boots, his hands slamming down against the floor with a sickening crack. His breath was fast, panting, drool spilling between his sharp teeth as his body trembled. "MMMHHHHHNNNN! FLY, FLY, FLYYYYY! COME ON, FALCON, FLY AWAY!" His head twitched to the side so violently it was as if his neck would snap. "OH, WAIT—YOU CAN’T! YOU CAN’T EVEN LIFT YOUR FEET RIGHT! HAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!" His laughter exploded into a shrieking, high-pitched wail, his fingers scratching wildly at the floor as his body convulsed, his golden eyes shaking with erratic, uncontrollable madness.

Jou exhaled slowly, crawling alongside them, his movements eerily smooth compared to the other two, yet no less unnatural. His golden eyes were half-lidded, his face barely moving as his lips curled into a dull, knowing smirk. He didn’t shriek, he didn’t cackle—he hummed, a slow, rattling, broken tune as his fingers drummed lazily against the floor, keeping time with Yuusuke’s forced, stuttering steps.

"MMMMM, LOOK AT HIM," he murmured, voice low, drawling, dripping with cruel amusement. "SO STIFF, SO TWITCHY, SO EMPTY. HIS BODY FIGHTS, BUT IT DOESN’T MATTER. IT DOESN’T MATTER AT ALL." He tilted his head, watching Yuusuke’s trembling steps with a detached, mocking sort of pity. "MMM, LIKE A BABY DEER. A BABY DEER THAT CAN’T RUN, CAN’T ESCAPE—JUST WOBBLES, WOBBLES, WOBBLES—BEFORE IT GETS ITS THROAT RIPPED OUT."

Yuusuke tried to scream. Tried to tell them to stop. Tried to break free, to force his body to fight, to turn, to lift his fists, to DO SOMETHING—

But his voice locked in his throat, his jaw trembling, his teeth clenching so hard behind his visor that his head pounded with pain. His legs twitched, jerking forward with every step, his knees buckling, his boots dragging against the slick, bloodstained floor. His arms swayed unnaturally, stiff, yet loose, shaking against his will, his shoulders convulsing as the Baron’s power pulled him onward.

And the trio crawled faster, moving closer, their breath hot, their voices overlapping in chaotic shrieks and broken whispers.

"WHY IS HE STILL FIGHTING?" Megumi giggled, her hands slamming against the floor as she pulled herself forward, pressing her face close to his thigh. "HE DOESN’T EVEN HAVE A CHOICE! HE’S MOVING, HE’S WALKING, BUT IT’S NOT HIM!" She breathed in deeply, her golden eyes fluttering, her entire body trembling. "MMMMMMM, HE SMELLS SOOOOO GOOD LIKE THIS. SO SWEATY, SO BROKEN, SO DELICIOUS."

Junichi arched his back, his body twitching, his fangs dripping saliva onto the stone beneath him. "MMMMMMNNNGGHHH, HE’S WALKING TO HIS OWN FUNERAL! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" His fingers snapped at the air like a starving dog, his eyes rolling wildly. "HE CAN’T EVEN SAY NO! HE CAN’T EVEN STOP! OHHHH, HE’S JUST A GOOD LITTLE MEAT PUPPET NOW!"

Jou exhaled through his teeth, his smirk widening. "MMMMM, POOR FALCON. HIS WINGS ARE SO HEAVY NOW." He ran a slow, lazy finger across the stone, watching the blood smear against his gloves. "MMM, NO WIND TO CARRY HIM. NO SKY TO ESCAPE TO."

Yuusuke jerked violently, his entire body spasming against the invisible force controlling him, his breath coming out in choked gasps. His arms trembled harder, his legs shuddering, but still—he moved forward. Step. By step. By step.

His breath hitched, a sharp, strangled sound, his throat locking, his fingers twitching.

He wasn’t being led. He was being herded. The realization hit him like ice through his chest. He was being delivered.

Megumi moaned, her whole body trembling. "OOOOOHHHH, HE KNOWS! HE KNOWS, HE KNOWS, HE KNOWS! LOOK AT HIM SHAKE! LOOK AT HIM BREAK!"

Junichi let out a shuddering, ecstatic breath. "AAAAAHAHAHAHAHA! FALL, FALCON! FALL! FALL! FALL!"

Jou sighed, tapping his fingers along the stone. "MMM, IT DOESN’T MATTER."

Yuusuke’s legs buckled, his breath hitched, and his entire body convulsed violently, yet it was all for nothing. His limbs no longer belonged to him. The Baron’s power held him like an unseen set of chains, controlling his body with perfect precision. Each pull of the strings forced his boots to scrape forward against the cold, uneven stone, each jerk of his arms making his gloved fingers twitch, curl, and splay uselessly. His helmeted head quivered, spasming against the sheer force of his own resistance, his throat vibrating with the sound of stuttering, gasping breaths. Terror burned through his veins, panic squeezing his chest like a vice, his mind screaming even as his body continued its forced march.

And then, he saw it. His vision froze. His body locked so hard his muscles spasmed violently, his entire frame arching for a brief, painful second before the control forced him forward again. His breath stuttered into short, shallow bursts, his lungs squeezing shut. His mind wanted to deny what was in front of him, wanted to believe that this was some new hallucination, some new trick. But the heat that licked against his visor was real. The waves of suffocating, thick air pressing against his suit were real. The growing scent of charred, ruined flesh was real.

The furnace.

It loomed before him like the gaping maw of Hell itself. The iron doors were wide open, their jagged edges warped from centuries of use, revealing a seething, orange inferno within. The interior walls pulsed with unbearable heat, glowing with an unnatural light, as though the very fire itself were alive, hungry, anticipating. The flames roared, licking outward, sending waves of choking, shimmering air into the room, wrapping around Yuusuke’s trembling frame, curling over his shoulders like an unseen set of hands. The scent of old, blackened remains clung to the air, the walls still slick with the melted remnants of those who had burned before. And now, he was walking toward it.

His breath hitched so violently his chest felt like it was about to collapse. His vision blurred, his fingers trembling at his sides. His legs twitched as if still trying to lock in place, still trying to resist, but the strings controlling him only pulled harder, forcing his boots forward. He was barely even aware of the strangled, broken noises escaping his throat, the raw, shattered syllables of what should have been words but came out as nothing more than gasping sobs.

The Baron let out a slow, indulgent sigh, his golden eyes glowing as he stepped closer, watching every shudder of his puppet with visible satisfaction. “Ahhhh, yes. Feel it, Falcon." His voice was thick, velvet wrapped around a razor, savoring the moment like a man about to feast. He extended one clawed hand, twisting his fingers, yanking Yuusuke’s body forward in response. “THIS… IS YOUR FINAL ROOST.”

A shrill, breathy giggle tore through the room, Megumi’s golden eyes rolling back in manic ecstasy. She dropped her body even lower, dragging herself across the stone like an animal, her nails clicking against the floor, her tongue flicking out against her own lips. “OOOOOOOOHHHHH, HE KNOWS, HE KNOWS, HE KNOWS!” Her shoulders convulsed, her head jerking sharply before she pressed her face close to Yuusuke’s legs, sighing as if breathing in his fear. “HE CAN FEEL THE HEAT! HE CAN SMELL HIMSELF COOKING ALREADY!”

Junichi slammed his hands onto the ground, his breath shuddering, his fingers curling so tightly his nails cracked against the stone. His entire frame trembled, his voice a mess of hysterical gasps and shrieking excitement. “MMMMMMMNNNNHHH! IT’S PERFECT! IT’S PERFECT!" He let out a peal of erratic, high-pitched laughter, his body spasming violently, his head twitching to the side at unnatural angles. "BURN, BURN, BURN! WE’LL WATCH HIM CRACKLE! WE’LL WATCH HIS SKIN MELT OFF! WE’LL WATCH HIS BONES TURN BLACK!"

Jou’s golden eyes half-lidded, his lips barely moving, his smirk calm, lazy, as if this were nothing more than a fine evening spectacle. His fingers drummed against the ground in rhythm with Yuusuke’s forced, jerking steps. “MMMM… RED FALCON, RED ASH.” His voice was a soft hum, detached, knowing. “MMM, HE’LL SCREAM SO LOUD. SO LONG. BUT HE WON’T DIE QUICK, WILL HE?”

The Baron chuckled, his lips curling into something almost fond. “OH, NO. NO, NO, NO.” His voice was a lover’s whisper wrapped in malice, the kind of voice that promised something so much worse than death. “THERE WILL BE NO QUICK DEATH FOR YOU, FALCON. YOU WILL NOT SIMPLY BURN.”

Yuusuke’s body lurched forward another step, his head shaking, his visor cracking slightly from the sheer force of his panic. “N-NNNOOOOO—NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO—STOP! STOP IT! DON’T MAKE ME—DON’T MAKE ME GO IN THERE!” His voice shattered, his throat barely capable of forming words, breaking apart into choking, heaving sobs.

The Baron’s grin widened. His clawed fingers curled slightly, sending another sharp pull through Yuusuke’s limbs, making him stumble closer to the fire. “OH, BUT YOU WANT TO, DON’T YOU?” His golden eyes gleamed, watching the way Yuusuke’s legs trembled, his body convulsing, his every breath a strangled, panicked gasp. “YOUR BODY MARCHES WILLINGLY, EVEN AS YOUR MIND SCREAMS.”

The heat was unbearable now, licking against his suit, burning through the fabric, pressing into his skin like unseen brands. His fingers clenched and unclenched, his arms stiff and rigid, his shoulders shaking violently, his lungs barely managing to keep air inside of them.

Megumi moaned, dragging her fingers along the floor, her body shuddering. “MMMM, HIS SKIN WILL BUBBLE FIRST. HIS FINGERS WILL CURL UP LIKE TWIGS."

Junichi arched his back, his breath coming in erratic, fevered bursts. "OOOOOOOOHHHHH, WE CAN’T LET HIM JUST DIE. NO, NO, NO—WE NEED TO HEAR EVERY SCREAM, EVERY LAST SCREAM!"

Jou let out a soft, satisfied hum. “MMM… HE WON’T STOP MOVING. NOT AT FIRST. HIS SUIT WILL PEEL AWAY, BUT HIS BODY WILL KEEP TWITCHING.”

Yuusuke screamed. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

His lungs nearly collapsed, his throat scraped raw, his whole body spasming against the force dragging him forward. His fingers clawed uselessly at the air, his vision burned, his stomach twisted into knots so tight it felt like his insides were being crushed.

The oven was right in front of him now.

The heat curled around his body, suffocating, unrelenting, pulsing with a hunger all its own.

The Baron leaned in, his breath cold against Yuusuke’s visor. "MMMMM, I CAN ALREADY TASTE YOU."

And then, he took another step forward. Yuusuke never stopped screaming. The moment the Baron’s talons shoved him forward, the world erupted into an unbearable inferno of agony.

The instant he crossed the threshold, the fire consumed him, engulfing him whole like a starving beast. The heat wasn’t just hot—it was alive, malevolent, crushing down on him like a sentient force, invading his lungs, his skin, his suit, his very existence. The flames clung to him, wrapping around his arms, his legs, his chest, his back, lapping greedily at his body, drinking him in. It was relentless, unstoppable, merciless. His visor fogged instantly, the interior of his helmet filling with his own suffocating, ragged breaths as his body convulsed violently, flailing, thrashing, but there was nowhere to run.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHGGGGHHHHHAAAAAAHHHHH!" His voice ripped through the flames, high, shrieking, the sound breaking, shattering into choking gasps before surging out again, louder, rawer, hoarser. The air inside the oven was so hot that even the act of screaming burned—his throat was blistering from within, his breath scorching him from the inside out.

The suit that had once protected him, armored him, shielded him from the horrors of battle, now betrayed him. The synthetic fabric shrieked alongside him, its fibers twisting, warping, peeling away from his flesh, melting in some areas, fusing in others. His gloves blackened, the fingertips stiffening, hardening, his fingers curling inward, spasming violently, unable to unclench. His boots felt like they were filled with molten lead, the rubber soles curling, distorting against the unrelenting heat.

The Baron sighed in absolute satisfaction, rubbing his clawed hands together as if he were a chef preparing the finest meal. His golden eyes gleamed in the dim, fire-lit chamber, reflecting the sight of Yuusuke’s struggling form within the raging inferno. The thick, rusted metal door of the oven vibrated beneath his touch, a steady rhythm matching the frantic, tortured writhing of the Red Falcon inside.

"MMMMMMH, YES, YES—JUST AS I DREAMED!" His voice was thick with ecstasy, his lips curling into a delighted grin. "FEEL IT, HERO! LET IT SEEP INTO YOUR EVERY FIBER! LET IT PEEL YOU APART! LET IT TURN YOUR COURAGE INTO NOTHING BUT ASH!"

Outside the oven, the corrupted Livemen were trembling in exhilaration, their bodies convulsing, their golden eyes flickering like dying stars, their mouths hanging open, fangs bared in twisted, animalistic grins.

"OOOOHHHHH, HE’S PERFECT! HE’S PERFECT!" Megumi shrieked, her breath coming in high-pitched, erratic gasps. Her hands clawed at her own arms, her nails dragging deep, shivering as she rocked back and forth on all fours. "HE’S SCREAMING SO BEAUTIFULLY! HIS VOICE—IT’S CHANGING!" Her head snapped upward, her golden eyes rolling back. "HE’S BECOMING SOMETHING ELSE! HE’S NOT A HERO ANYMORE!"

Junichi let out a piercing, cackling howl, his body jerking, his hands slamming against the floor, sending cracks through the stone. "MMMMMMMNNNNHHH! RED MEAT! RED MEAT! HE’S COOKING! HE’S COOKING!" His fingers clawed against his own scalp, his breathing ragged, uneven, drool slipping between his teeth. "OOOOHHH, HE CAN’T MOVE! HE CAN’T ESCAPE! HE CAN’T EVEN BEG RIGHT ANYMORE! AHAHAHAHAHA!"

Jou tilted his head, his smirk widening into something even more detached, more amused. His fingers tapped against the floor in slow, deliberate rhythm, his voice a soft, drawling whisper. "MMM, LISTEN TO THAT. NOT JUST SCREAMS. GURGLING. CHOKING. THE HEAT’S TAKING HIS BREATH." He exhaled slowly, his golden eyes hooded. "MMM, HE WON’T LAST LONG ENOUGH TO BEG PROPERLY."

Inside the oven, Yuusuke’s body spasmed, his arms swinging wildly, his fingers curling and uncurling, his legs buckling beneath him. His knees hit the superheated metal grating beneath him, and he lurched forward, his chest slamming into the burning surface. His spine arched so violently his muscles locked, his entire frame seizing, locking in a grotesque position as another tortured, mindless shriek tore from his raw throat.

"AAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHRRRHHHHAAAAA—HHHHRRRKKK—NNNGHHAAAAA!"

The pain was beyond anything he had ever felt. It wasn’t just fire, it wasn’t just heat—it was an invasion, a destruction of his very being. His blood was boiling, his sweat evaporating before it could even form, his muscles spasming uncontrollably. He could feel his own skin tightening, the outermost layers crisping, the first blisters forming. His helmet felt like it was fusing to his skull, the interior filled with the scent of his own burning flesh.

And yet—he was still alive. He was being forced to stay alive.

The Baron’s laughter rose, his clawed hands pressing against the hot metal door, feeling the frantic vibrations beneath his palms. "MMMHHH, YES. YES. YES!" His breath was heavy, indulgent, reveling in the moment. "A HERO WHO WILL NEVER BE SAVED. A HERO WHO WILL NEVER WIN. A HERO WHO WILL BURN, AND BURN, AND BURN."

Megumi breathed a delirious sigh, pressing her forehead against the floor. "HE’S JUST A BANQUET MEAL NOW. HE’S JUST… DOOMED FOOD!"

Junichi’s hands trembled, his fingers digging into the stone as his body rocked in fevered excitement. "OOOOHHH, HIS SKIN IS CRACKLING! HIS FLESH IS BURSTING! HIS BONES WILL TURN BLACK!" His voice rose into a hysterical shriek. "AND WE’LL STILL HEAR HIM! WE’LL STILL HEAR HIM!"

Jou tilted his head, eyes half-lidded, his voice detached, thoughtful. "MMMM, HE CAN’T SCREAM FOREVER." His fingers tapped against his knee again, slow, rhythmic. "BUT THE FIRE WILL KEEP GOING. HIS BODY WILL KEEP TWITCHING."

Inside, Yuusuke’s lungs were failing, his breath reduced to ragged, choked gasps, his body barely responding, every nerve alight with excruciating, endless torment. His fingers twitched, curling and uncurling, his body seizing and locking over and over again. His skin blistered, golden brown in some areas, blackened in others. His mind was slipping, thoughts fracturing, dissolving, his world nothing but heat, and agony, and fire.

***

The screams had finally stopped. The flames had done their work. The roasting had completed. The meal was ready.

But death did not bring peace. The oven door groaned open, releasing a burst of suffocating, scalding steam, filling the chamber with the thick, greasy scent of cooked flesh, of charred fabric, of heat-warped metal, of a hero reduced to nothing but a serving. The Baron’s golden eyes gleamed as he watched his prize slide forward upon a great iron plate, steam rising in thick plumes around the bound, blackened body that had once been Yusuke Amamiya.

He was dead. Yet he screamed.

The sound was not physical. It did not come from his seared throat, did not rasp through the suffocating heat still trapped within his helmet. It came from within. From deep inside the very essence of what had been Red Falcon. His soul, his identity, his spirit—it was still inside, still chained to the corpse, still experiencing every moment of its own destruction.

"N-NOOOOO! NOOO! LET ME OUT! I’M DEAD! I’M DEAD! I CAN’T—I CAN’T BE HERE! LET ME GO!" Yusuke’s spectral voice shrieked into the void, but there was no escape. His soul writhed, pulled, tugged against the unseen force that anchored him inside his charred body, but it would not budge. It could not.

"PLEASE! SOMEONE! ANYONE! GET ME OUT! I’M MELTING! I’M STILL BURNING! I CAN’T ESCAPE—HELP!"

His body had been reduced to a grotesque display of suffering, yet it remained whole. His suit had blackened, scorched from the fire, yet it clung to him, a second skin now fused to the meat beneath. The visor of his helmet, though cracked, still remained intact, sealing him in, trapping him within his own remains, a casket of heat, suffering, and eternal torment.

He tried to move, to flee from the sensation of his own cooked body, but there was no escape. His arms, legs, every inch of his form remained locked in its grotesque pose. Yet he felt everything. "I CAN STILL FEEL IT! I CAN STILL FEEL THE FIRE!" Yusuke sobbed, his voice cracked with madness, his spectral presence shaking violently within the confines of his cooked corpse. "WHY? WHY CAN’T I LEAVE? I DIED! I’M DEAD! WHY CAN’T I GO?" He thrashed, tried to tear himself away from his own remains, but the suit, the body, the suffering held him.

The Baron chuckled, exhaling deeply as he traced a single claw along the blackened suit, feeling the crisp texture beneath his touch. "MMMMMM… YES… PERFECTION." His fingers curled against the cooling surface of the plating, his smile stretching wider as he turned his attention toward the helmeted head, still tilted slightly forward, visor cracked, but whole.

And inside, it screamed. "LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! I CAN’T STAY LIKE THIS! I CAN’T! PLEASE! SOMEONE, PLEASE—!" But there was no salvation. No reprieve. No heaven waiting for him. Just the choking darkness of his cooked prison.

A wail so high, so broken, so utterly drenched in suffering that it didn’t echo through the room—it echoed through existence itself. A cry from a soul that should have departed, should have been freed, but instead remained shackled inside its own burnt prison.

Megumi let out a shrill, animalistic squeal, her hands clamping over her ears, her golden eyes rolling back in sheer, overwhelming pleasure. "OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH! HE'S STILL THERE! HE'S STILL THERE!" She threw herself onto the stone floor, writhing, her nails clawing against her own skin as she moaned through her delirious giggles. "HE CAN’T GET OUT! HE CAN’T ESCAPE! HE’S SCREAMING! HE’S STILL INSIDE!"

Junichi convulsed violently, his entire body locking up before shaking uncontrollably, his hands slamming onto the floor so hard his nails cracked. His breath came in sharp, erratic gasps, his lips parting into a wide, saliva-drenched grin. "AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHAAA! HE’S TRAPPED! TRAPPED! TRAPPED! HIS SOUL IS STILL COOKING!" He let out a piercing, shrieking laugh, drool spilling onto his chin. "HE'S GONNA SCREAM FOREVER! FOREVER! FOREVEEEEEEER!"

Jou exhaled slowly, his smirk widening, his fingers drumming lightly against the stone table, savoring the resonance of the wailing soul trapped within its roasted body. "MMMM… CAN’T EVEN DIE PROPERLY." His voice was calm, laced with amusement, his golden eyes half-lidded as he listened to the invisible agony ringing through the air. "MMM, THAT’S TRUE COOKING."

Inside the blackened, steaming remains of what had once been a hero, Yusuke’s soul fought, and failed. "NOOOO! NO, NO, NO, THIS IS HELL! I’M GONE, I’M GONE—WHY AM I STILL HERE?" His spectral voice howled, reverberating through the very walls, through the dinner hall, through the very fabric of reality that bound him to his own suffering. "I SHOULD BE FREE! I SHOULD BE IN THE AFTERLIFE! WHY? WHY AM I STILL HERE? WHY AM I STILL INSIDE ME?" His wails cracked, splintering into raw, endless agony.

The Baron moaned lewdly hard and loud, rubbing his hands together, his golden eyes glinting with satisfaction. "MMM, A FINE MEAL IS MORE THAN TASTE, MORE THAN TEXTURE—IT IS AN EXPERIENCE." He leaned down, his lips curling against the darkened surface of the visor, whispering through the scorched material. "AND YOU, MY DEAR FALCON… WILL BE EXPERIENCED. OVER. AND OVER. AND OVER AGAIN."

Then, with a mere flick of his fingers, the hero’s corpse rose. Yusuke’s burned, rigid form jerked unnaturally into the air, yanked from the iron plate by an unseen force, his blackened suit stretching tight against his contorted limbs. He could do nothing—he was dead—yet he was dragged like a puppet toward the candlelit dining table.

His body hovered for a moment, steam still rising from his suit, the scorched red fabric stretched over cooked flesh, his helmeted face frozen, visor still intact, trapping his soul inside. He was placed upon the great obsidian table, surrounded by golden goblets filled with thick crimson liquid, surrounded by silverware polished to gleaming perfection, surrounded by candlelight flickering in wicked anticipation.

And still, his soul screamed.

Megumi pressed her hands to her cheeks, her breath shuddering in delighted gasps. "OHHHHHHH, HE’S ON THE TABLE! HE’S READY TO SERVE!" Her voice cracked into a giggle, her fingers shaking with euphoria. "HIS BODY DOESN’T EVEN KNOW HE’S DEAD! HIS SOUL DOESN’T KNOW HE’S DEAD! HE’S STILL TRYING TO RUN!"

Junichi let out a shrieking, breathless cackle, rocking on his haunches. "MMMMMHHH, BUT HE CAN’T! HE CAN’T! HE CAN ONLY LAY THERE!" His eyes flickered, golden pupils trembling. "READY. TO. BE. ENJOYED."

The Baron’s golden eyes gleamed as he lifted the ceremonial blade from the velvet-lined tray beside him. The knife was long, cruelly curved, its edge glistening in the flickering candlelight of the feast hall. The corrupted trio watched with bated breath, their golden eyes wide with hunger, their fingers twitching as they pressed their hands into the cold stone of the table. The meal was set. The first cut was ready.

Yusuke’s soul, still trapped inside his roasted body, screamed. "NO—NO, PLEASE! DON’T! I CAN FEEL IT! I CAN STILL FEEL EVERYTHING! PLEASE, LET ME GO! LET ME GO!" His spectral voice howled in raw desperation, his agony ringing through the hall, but no mercy would be granted. His body, still clad in its burned, blackened red spandex, twitched ever so slightly, an unnatural jerking as if it were aware of what was about to happen but powerless to stop it.

The Baron exhaled deeply, savoring the scent rising from the bound, roasted hero before him. He dragged a single claw over Yusuke’s thigh, feeling the crispness of the cooked suit, how it had fused to his flesh, sealing in his suffering. “MMMMM… SOFT. TENDER. PERFECTLY PREPARED.” He smiled, flashing his gleaming fangs as he lifted the knife.

And then, he cut. A long, slow incision down the length of Yusuke’s thigh. The blade sank through the tight, blackened suit and into the softened meat beneath with ease, parting it like butter. The moment the first slice was made, Yusuke shrieked.

"AAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHHHHHH! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! STOP! STOP! PLEASE! I CAN FEEL IT! I CAN FEEL EVERYTHING! FUCK FUCK FUCK, FUCK FUCK FUCK, PLEASE!" His voice cracked into an incomprehensible wail as his soul writhed, but there was nowhere to go. No escape. No relief.

Megumi let out a breathless moan, her fingers digging into the table as she shuddered in delight. "OOOOOHHHHH! THE WAY HE SCREAMS! THE WAY HE SQUIRMS!" She licked her lips, her golden eyes fluttering as if she were intoxicated. "EVERY CUT, EVERY SLICE, EVERY BIT OF HIM STILL KNOWS!"

Junichi clawed at the stone, his nails scraping against the surface as he let out a high-pitched giggle. "MMMMMNNHHH—HE’S STILL IN THERE! HE’S STILL IN THERE! HIS FLESH MOVES, BUT HE CAN’T LEAVE!" His breath hitched, saliva pooling in his mouth. "I WANNA TASTE IT! I WANNA TEAR IT! GIVE ME A PIECE!"

Jou’s smirk widened, his fingers tapping a slow, indulgent rhythm against the table. "MMM… HIS BODY HEALS, DOESN’T IT? NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE TAKE… HE’LL JUST COME BACK." His golden eyes darkened with amusement. "THAT MEANS WE CAN KEEP EATING. FOREVER."

The Baron let out a satisfied hum, holding up the first slice—a thick, steaming cut of thigh, its edges perfectly seared, juices dripping onto the plate below. He admired it, then turned to his eager, drooling disciples. “FEAST, MY DOGS. TASTE THE HERO. MAKE HIM YOURS.”

Megumi lunged first. She snatched the roasted slice from the Baron’s clawed hand, stuffing it into her mouth with fevered desperation. Her body convulsed, her golden eyes rolling back, her entire frame trembling with a shuddering moan. "MMMMMHHHHHH! SO GOOD! SO RICH! IT MELTS ON MY TONGUE!" Her fingers twitched as she swallowed, her chest heaving. "IT STILL TWITCHES INSIDE ME! HE’S STILL FIGHTING! HE CAN STILL FEEL IT!"

Junichi was next, tearing a piece directly from Yusuke’s thigh with his teeth, ripping fabric, flesh, and all, chewing hungrily, drool spilling down his chin. "MMMNNNGHHHH! HAHAHAAAA! HE’S STILL WARM! STILL FRESH! HE SCREAMS AND SCREAMS BUT HE CAN’T DO ANYTHING!" He bit deeper, shaking his head violently, tearing another chunk free.

Jou took his time, plucking a smaller piece, turning it over in his fingers as he examined the meat, its texture, its perfection. He exhaled slowly before placing it on his tongue. His eyes fluttered shut as he chewed, letting the taste spread over his senses. "MMMM… HEROES ALWAYS HAD THE BEST SPIRIT. AND NOW, HE’S OURS. BOUND TO US. NEVER ESCAPING."

Inside his helmet, Yusuke sobbed. "PLEASE—PLEASE STOP! I’M STILL HERE! I’M STILL HERE! I CAN FEEL IT! I CAN STILL FEEL IT! PLEASE, SOMEONE, KILL ME! LET ME GO! FUCK FUCK FUCK, LET ME DIE!" His soul thrashed, shrieked, fought with everything he had—but the moment his flesh was removed, it regrew.

The Baron let out a pleased sigh. "MMMHHHH… LOOK AT THAT. HE HEALS, SO BEAUTIFULLY. HIS FLESH REFORMS, HIS MEAT RETURNS.* AN ENDLESS MEAL. AN ENDLESS SUFFERING.*" His grin widened. "YOU WILL NEVER ESCAPE, RED FALCON. NEVER. YOUR BODY WILL BE CARVED. YOUR SOUL WILL REMAIN. YOUR AGONY… WILL NEVER END."

Megumi giggled, licking her fingers clean before grabbing Yusuke’s leg, wrenching it roughly to the side. "OHHHH, I WANNA TEAR OFF A BIGGER PIECE! HIS THIGHS ARE STILL SO PLUMP! LET’S RIP IT ALL!"

Junichi howled with laughter, his teeth bared, his fingers twitching with exhilaration. "LET’S TAKE HIS ARMS! LET’S TAKE HIS CHEST! LET’S DEVOUR IT ALL!"

Jou exhaled, a slow smirk playing at his lips. "MMMMM… LET’S SEE HOW MUCH HE CAN ENDURE."

The Baron raised his knife again, his golden eyes gleaming. "YES… LET US CARVE MORE."

Inside, Yusuke’s soul kept screaming. Because it had nowhere else to go.

And so, the feast continued, his body endlessly regenerating, his pain eternal, his torment never-ending, a meal that could never be finished, a soul that could never escape, a nightmare that would stretch into infinity. The Baron and his corrupted servants laughed and feasted, over and over, tearing him apart, relishing every bite, every fresh scream, every moment of his never-ending agony.

Each time a limb was torn, a strip of flesh devoured, his body mended itself, sealing his suffering into an endless loop. He felt the teeth rip through his form, the tearing of cooked muscle, the agony of being eaten—and yet, he remained whole, healed, only for it to start again. The cycle would never stop. His agony would never end.

Megumi grinned, licking her lips. "OOOOHHH, WE’LL NEVER RUN OUT OF HIM!"

***

The Baron leaned back, his golden eyes alight with cruel satisfaction as the feast reached its crescendo. The grand obsidian dining table groaned under the weight of the unholy celebration, the twisted revelry of the corrupted trio at its peak. The air was thick with the scent of seared flesh, spiced blood, and the lingering smoke of fire that had long since burned away mercy.

And at the center of it all, Yusuke screamed. He screamed without a throat, without lungs, without a body that should still feel—yet he did. His spectral wail pierced through existence, through the stone halls of the Baron’s infernal domain, through the endless void that had swallowed them whole.

"NO! NO! NOOOOOOO! I CAN’T! I CAN’T! I CAN STILL FEEL IT! STOP! STOP EATING ME! I’M STILL HERE!" His soul thrashed within his own endlessly regenerating flesh, torn from him only to reform, piece by piece, to be devoured again.

His severed leg—ripped from the knee, chewed and gnawed by Megumi’s delighted fangs—was back. His arm, gnawed to the bone by Junichi’s hunger, regrew. His ribs, cracked apart by Jou’s now maniacally rabid, delirious, feral bites, had sealed whole.

But he could feel it all. "FUCK FUCK FUCK, FUCK FUCK FUCK, WHY WON’T I DIE?! WHY WON’T I LEAVE?! WHY CAN’T I GO?! I’M DEAD! I’M DEAD! I CAN’T BE HERE! LET ME GO! PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE!" His voice, raw, endless, choked on madness.

Megumi moaned, wiping grease from her chin as she reached for another slice. "OHHHHHH, BUT WHY WOULD WE LET YOU GO~? YOU’RE SO DELICIOUS, SO PERFECT, SO... OURS." Her golden eyes rolled back in pleasure, her fingers digging into his chest, feeling the way it still quivered beneath her grip.

Junichi let out a breathless giggle, his nails scraping along Yusuke’s still-scorched helmet, tapping against the visor as if mocking his inability to escape. "OOOOOOH, FALCON! I CAN STILL HEAR YOU INSIDE! YOU’RE SCREAMING AND SCREAMING! ARE YOU GONNA SCREAM FOREVER?!"

Jou, once the calmest among them, was now completely lost to it—his golden eyes wild, his hands trembling as he raked them across Yusuke’s half-regrown side, peeling the flesh away with his nails before his teeth sank in deep. His muffled, manic voice hummed in delight, thick with wet chewing and sharp, breathless moans. "MMMMMM! HE’S STILL SQUIRMING! STILL TASTES ALIVE! HAHAHAHAHAAAA! HE’S NEVER GONNA ESCAPE! NEVER! NEVER! NEVER!"

His mouth stretched into a monstrous grin, ripping through tendons and veins, sucking the still-warm juices that seeped from Yusuke’s eternally regenerating body. His breath hitched between frantic, erratic laughter. "HE TASTES EVEN BETTER THE SECOND TIME! THIRD TIME! FOURTH TIME! AAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! LET’S KEEP GOING! LET’S KEEP RIPPING! MORE! MORE! MORE!"

The Baron sighed in absolute contentment, his golden gaze sweeping across the remains of the Red Falcon, his hands pressing together in satisfaction. "YES… THIS IS HOW IT SHOULD BE. A HERO BROKEN. A HERO BOUND. A HERO WHO CAN NEVER BE FREE."

Inside his eternally consumed flesh, Yusuke shrieked, wailed, clawed at the fabric of existence, yet nothing freed him.

Beyond the candlelit feast, past the plates and goblets overflowing with the blood of their wicked banquet, past the howls of the corrupted trio—another voice. A voice just as trapped, just as doomed. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! KILL ME! KILL ME! KILL ME!"

Tetsuya the Black Bison Liveman hero, still impaled upon the pike of suffering, his broad body stretched unnaturally, his arms limp, his helmeted head tilted back in agony, his visor cracked but still whole, locking his spirit inside the eternal torment of his own flesh.

The Baron gestured toward the impaled hero, grinning. "MMMHHH… YOUR DEAR FRIEND… HE STILL SINGS SO BEAUTIFULLY."

Tetsuya’s broken, gurgling voice howled through the infernal chamber, every muscle in his body jerking, spasming, his gloves twitching helplessly. "K-K-K-KILL ME! PLEASE! PLEASE! I CAN’T DO THIS! I CAN’T TAKE IT! I CAN STILL FEEL THE PIIIIIIKE!" His voice fractured into a piercing, animalistic scream, his soul bursting in sheer, unbearable agony.

His back arched against the spike, his muscles tightening, his body trembling as his golden lifeblood dripped down onto the polished stone below, sizzling as it joined the remnants of the feast.

Yusuke tried to turn his head—tried to look away—but he couldn’t. His body—his eternally feasted body—wasn’t his own anymore. "TETSUYA! TETSUYA, NO! GET OUT! GET OUT! YOU HAVE TO GET OUT! PLEASE! FUCK FUCK FUCK, PLEASE!" His soul’s scream reached for him—but there was no escape.

The Baron laughed, deep and resounding, a sound of absolute triumph. "MMMHHH… SO BEAUTIFUL. SO TRAGIC. SO… FINAL." He tilted his head, watching as Tetsuya’s body shuddered violently against the pike, his visor fogging from his own labored breath, his legs kicking weakly. "YES… THIS IS HOW HEROES SHOULD END. NOT IN VICTORY, NOT IN GLORY—BUT AS PROPERTY."

Megumi giggled, her golden eyes flickering as she turned her gaze toward the impaled Black Bison. "OOOOHHHHHH, HE’S STILL SQUIRMING~! STILL FIGHTING! HOW CUTE! HOW USELESS!" She licked her fingers, glancing down at Yusuke. "FALCON, DO YOU SEE HIM? DO YOU SEE HOW HE STILL HOLDS ON?!"

Yusuke sobbed, his spectral voice cracking, his soul unable to break free. "PLEASE—PLEASE, NO MORE! NO MORE! PLEASE, STOP! STOP! STOP!"

Junichi grinned wide, his teeth flashing as he tore another bite from Yusuke’s side. "MMMMMHHHH, NO, NO, NO, WE DON’T STOP." He shuddered, his body wracked with delighted spasms. "WE NEVER STOP!"

Jou, his mouth still dripping with blood and cooked flesh, threw his head back in sheer, shrieking hysteria. "NEVER, NEVER, NEVER! LET’S DO THIS FOREVER! LET’S TEAR HIM APART FOREVER! HAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!"

The Baron raised his goblet once more, his fangs gleaming. "YES… THE NIGHT IS ETERNAL. THE FEAST IS ETERNAL."

And with that, he drank deeply, the thick crimson liquid running over his lips, sealing their fate in an endless, cursed banquet.

The corrupted trio laughed, moaned, shuddered in exultation. The Baron sighed in contentment.

And Yusuke, his body torn, reformed, torn again, forever trapped, forever consumed—

Screamed.

Screamed.

Screamed.

Because the feast would never end.