Chapter 36 – The Cage of Life
Eisuke lay on the shattered ground, bleeding heavily.
The crimson stains spread beneath him, his breaths shallow and fading.
As his vision dimmed, fragments of his childhood began to flash before his eyes—
a world of pain, betrayal, and darkness.
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[Flashback]
A small boy, no older than five, trembled in a corner.
His father's hand struck his cheek again and again.
> Father: "You're pathetic! Useless! We don't need you — we need money!"
His mother's cold eyes glared down. She grabbed the boy by his throat.
> Eisuke (choking): "M-Mama…"
> Mother: "We'll sell you! Maybe someone else will find a use for you."
Eisuke was a frail child — born sickly, breathless, unable to even stand without trembling.
And that weakness sealed his fate.
They sold him to a group of criminals for a handful of money.
He was thrown into an iron cage, locked away in darkness.
The men laughed, beating him senseless with chains for their amusement.
Days blurred into nights. His body ached, but he never cried out.
Until he came.
A tall figure stepped through the door — Shinjukuna.
His presence filled the room with dread. Without hesitation, he slaughtered everyone in that place.
Shinjukuna crushed the cage lock with one hand and knelt before the trembling boy.
> Shinjukuna: "Poor little one. You've suffered enough. I'll make you happy."
Eisuke looked up with wide, innocent eyes.
> Eisuke: "Can… I have food?"
Shinjukuna smiled faintly.
> Shinjukuna: "You can have whatever you wish… no hesitation."
The boy nodded with a spark of hope —
and from that moment, he followed Shinjukuna, growing into the man the world would later call a villain.
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[Present – Battle Aftermath]
The sound of the wind whistled through the ruins.
Yuzurei stood still, blood dripping from his own wounds, his expression unreadable.
Eisuke's eyes flickered open one last time. He smiled faintly.
> Eisuke: "Heh… Thanks… for breaking me out of this cage… of life."
His gaze turned skyward — and faded.
Yuzurei silently nodded, then sheathed his four katanas one by one.
Without another word, he turned and walked away under the pale blue moonlight,
the water rippling softly at his feet.
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