This chapter's epigraph comes from a speech delivered by Hiroshi Sekiguchi, the protagonist of the novel. In this speech, he says that he wishes he could be a doctor on the island of Tochigi, so that he might be able to save the lives of others by treating them with his medical knowledge. He also says that the protagonist's doctor, Nishi Kiori, is "nothin' but pure malice, and ill will" , and that he abuses his knowledge to "manipulate others' lives" . The protagonist, however, is not afraid of Kiori's power. He says that Kiori is super strong, so there is nothing to fear when Kiori goes up against him. Kiori will be a murderer, and getting Kiori healed is the main priority. As Kiori and his men go to find the doctor, Hiroshi tells them to be careful, as the walls and ceilings of the building are "pretty crumbly" and the floor is "deeper than anything in tokyo." He wonders how far the building extends, and wonders if it is Kiori who is in the room. He wonders if she will figure out what's going on, and if she'll feel something on her back. He's sure she will, but he doesn't know how to tell if Kiori has been thinking or if she has been accidentally hitting him.