At dawn in a stifling Osaka cell block, Blackthorne fights a fellow inmate who stole his gruel, reclaims a corner space, and witnesses the cell’s brutal hierarchy. Outside, he has seen crucifixions and dismemberment, underscoring the terror. When his attacker lunges again, a bulldog-like prisoner, Minikui, disables the man, tacitly aligning with Blackthorne.

A ragged European appears administering last rites: Friar Domingo, a Spanish Franciscan imprisoned since 1598. Speaking Spanish, Domingo guides Blackthorne to a small cleared space and calls the inmates his flock. The prisoners treat Domingo with deference, accepting blessings and sharing food.

Domingo rails against Jesuit trade power, their control of the Black Ship from Macao, and alleged political meddling. He explains Japanese customs—only samurai have names—and the severity of punishments. When guards call names, Akabo, a porter who had aided them, is led to execution, illustrating the strict collective responsibility and inevitability of death sentences.

Domingo recounts the San Felipe wreck at Shikoku (1597), the Taikō’s confiscation, the Franciscans’ open ministry in Kyoto, and their betrayal and condemnation. He describes the twenty-six martyrs at Nagasaki and his own denied martyrdom, then asserts prisons serve only to hold the guilty before execution. Blackthorne is shaken by terror but forces himself to endure.

Over three days, Blackthorne learns Japanese words, regional history, and details of Portuguese trade and the Black Ship while sharing the cell’s bleak routines. On the fourth day, the guards open the door and call his name—"Anjin-san!"—propelling him into an uncertain next ordeal.