One sword keeps another in the sheath. [ raiden drawls just a touch sardonically. ] George Herbert and general Samurai code, I know how it goes. But I can't say that I do it out of honor, Snake. Not all of the time.

[ snake, in some ways, was too soft for his own good. it's a stark contrast to how raiden'd initially perceived him all those years ago: a grizzled veteran forged from iron, practically immovable in what he was.

raiden tilts his head at the answer that comes next. ]

Maybe you got lucky. My pain tolerance is pretty damn high, but I—...well, I've been having aches of my own.

[ a beat. ]

Getting into a fight didn't help much.