Upon arriving at the massive, teeming Mayan metropolis, Jaguar Paw and the others are herded toward a towering pyramid. The captives are destined for one of the film's most shocking sequences: a mass human sacrifice meant to appease the gods and bring prosperity to the kingdom. As the warriors are decapitated one by one on the sacrificial altar, the sky begins to darken. Just as Jaguar Paw is about to be executed, the predicted occurs. The Mayan high priest interprets this as a sign of the gods' satisfaction, sparing the remaining captives, who are then given as slaves to the city's warriors.