The middle chapters, specifically parts 4, 5, and 6, focus heavily on the concept of breaking and rebuilding. By this stage in the story, the initial shock of the desert setting has worn off, replaced by a grueling routine of labor and discipline. Tagame uses these chapters to deepen the power dynamics between the captors and the captives. Unlike western depictions of similar themes, Tagame’s work focuses on the "aesthetic of the muscular male form in distress," using detailed anatomical illustrations to convey a sense of weight, heat, and exhaustion.