How many hours had it been? Days? Weeks?
Muzan couldn't guess. He'd regained consciousness some time ago, but surrounded by walls even overhead, there was no way to tell whether it was day or night, let alone how much time had passed.
Food? Water? No such luxuries existed in this cave—unless the corpses of others counted as food and their blood as water.
Yes, several humans—more than a dozen—were crammed into this small chamber. Men, women, children, elders: no one was spared. Everyone was packed into this cramped space like pigs in a barn.
Some still hoped to be rescued, to escape. Others had accepted their fate and become listless. A few couldn't accept reality and had chosen to part ways with it.
The stench of human waste invaded Muzan's nostrils. It was unbearable, but he had no choice except to endure it. After all, they were all in the same situation—all captured by the same madman.
This place was practically hell. Muzan still clung to a sliver of hope that someone might rescue them. After all, an entire village had been massacred overnight. But the possibility seemed bleak.
Shhhrrkkk!
The massive metal door shifted. Faint light illuminated the chamber.
Many looked up at the entrance with hope in their eyes. Others stared at the door in a daze, as if it didn't matter whether they were saved or not. They were already broken beyond repair.
To their utter disappointment, no rescuer appeared. Instead, two messengers of death stood in the doorway, holding torches.
"How filthy. Pitiful and disgusting. This stench—it's unbearable."
One waved his hand before his nose, trying to dispel the foul odor.
"What do I see? Is that hope in their eyes? Hehehe~ I just love this. The expression of hope on their faces before it gets absolutely crushed brings joy to my soul."
The other man smiled wide, grinning so hard his eyes squeezed shut, as if the happiness was too big for his face to contain.
Both settled their torches near the entrance. Behind them stretched a long tunnel that seemed endless, consumed by darkness at its far end.
Some captives cried out to be spared. Others begged for a swift death.
Muzan felt both horrified and disturbed. He neither wailed for mercy nor begged for death like the others. He was disgusted by those who groveled, but that changed nothing.
"Stand up. It's time for you all to find peace. The auspicious hour has come—the time when Lord Jashin will shower his blessings. Thanks be to Lord Jashin for his mercy. He is the true savior of this world."
Slowly, everyone began to rise. Even those who had given up stood, because they wanted to leave this cage—even if it meant entering a new one.
Muzan followed the others and slowly stood.
Though these two men praised Lord Jashin, he couldn't shake the feeling that their devotion was neither pure nor the entity they worshipped benevolent.
"Now follow me. I shall take you to where Lord Jashin will bless you with eternal freedom. Not everyone receives this opportunity. So rejoice—Lord Jashin's mercy is boundless."
Finishing his speech, he grabbed his torch and walked out. Everyone followed like ants. Muzan did the same.
The other man remained at the chamber.
KRRRRHHHHWWMM!
The earth shook, and a massive sound echoed through the tunnel. Everyone flinched in fear, raising their hands over their heads as if the tunnel were collapsing.
"Tch! Keep walking! It's just noise! Whoever stops will be sent back!"
The man at the front spoke, his brows furrowed in annoyance.
Everyone quickly resumed following him, though their fear hadn't lessened—it had only increased because of the warning. No one wanted to return to the hell they'd just escaped.
Muzan had some understanding of why the earth shook. He'd visited the Land of Stone with his father and learned about shinobi there. Shinobi were humans who could use an energy called chakra. With it, they could move earth and create new structures.
Shinobi normally belonged to their own clans, but no shinobi clans lived in the Land of Iron, which already had samurai.
After walking for what felt like an eternity, they finally emerged from the tunnel into a colossal chamber. In its center stood a small tree—ancient and withered.
The chamber connected to many similar tunnels. Blood-red circles were drawn around its perimeter—painted in blood, perhaps? It was impossible to tell; Muzan's nose had gone numb by this point.
Several other groups emerged from the tunnels, each led by a guide. The groups looked at one another. In total, there were nearly a hundred captives.
Suddenly, mad laughter echoed through the chamber. The madman who had captured Muzan appeared in the middle, near the tree.
"Kekekeke...! Welcome! Welcome to you all! Today is your lucky day! Today you will all gain eternal peace. Your task is simple: surrender yourselves to Lord Jashin! Let's begin the ceremony without delay!"
The man at the lead turned back and pointed at the nearby circle, amusement visible on his face.
"Everyone, please gather in the circle."
But everyone hesitated. No one wanted to be the first to step forward.
The man's face twisted from amusement to pure fury.
"Hoho~ What's this? Did courage sprout in your hearts? No matter. I shall nip it in the bud."
Whoosh!
His body vanished. A moment later, he appeared in the middle of the crowd.
No one could see or understand what had happened.
Muzan squinted.
Plop!
Before he could process it, several heads dropped to the ground, tumbling and rolling away. Their eyes were still wide open. Blood spurted from the headless bodies like fountains.
SKREEEEE!
A scream pierced the air. Like a chain reaction, everyone else began screaming.
Muzan's eyes widened, his pupils trembling.
"Shut up and enter the circle!"
The final order cut through the screams. No one dared disobey. Everyone entered the circle.
Similar scenes unfolded with the other groups. They all entered the circles like cattle being led to slaughter.
The madman in the center spread his arms and looked upward. "Oh, Lord Jashin! Ten years! I have worked ten years for this moment. Nine hundred sacrifices—and today I sacrifice the remaining hundred! Please bestow your blessing upon me!"
He slashed across his palm. A deep cut appeared, blood flowing freely. He immediately pressed his hand against the ancient tree.
Not a single drop of blood fell to the ground. The tree seemed to be absorbing it. It began to tremble.
Crack! Whoosh!
Several roots broke through the ground. They whistled as they cut through the air, rushing at the madman.
But before they could grab him, he vanished.
The roots hung in midair, searching for new targets. They quickly found them.
Every root whipped through the air toward the people standing in the circles.
Everyone began screaming and panicking, trying to run. But days of hunger and lack of rest had left them weak.
In the end, not a single person escaped. Muzan, with his already frail body, was one of the first to be caught.
The roots wrapped around him like a snake, tightening with each passing moment.
"Is this how I die? I couldn't escape death in the end, even though Genzo sacrificed his life for me. Fate is truly cruel. Mercy is a dream, and life seems to be nothing but trauma..."
These were Muzan's last thoughts before the world around him went dark.