"Who are those strange-looking people?"

"Look at their faces and hair - they are foreigners."

"I've never seen anyone who looked like that before."

"Why do you think they're here?"

Since arriving in Japan, Siegfried and his group had learned that gawking is contagious. Once a few people stop to stare at something, other people follow their gaze, and soon there is a small crowd surrounding the object of interest.

They had of course, taken measures to appear less conspicuous. They had all donned clothing similar to what they saw average civilians wearing, but they couldn't do anything about the fact that, above the neck, they looked nothing like average citizens of Japan.

Nearly every time they had visited a marketplace, they'd found themselves being followed by curious passerby who wanted to see the gaijin. Few onlookers had been hostile or unruly, whether because the sight of a group of foreigners is intimidating, or because Siegfried and the others let the hilts of their weapons remain visible.

Maxi had taught Siegfried and his group a few phrases that would enable them to function in Japan, and most shopkeepers had not been eager to refuse pieces of gold for their wares, even if it was not their usual currency. Still, on occasion, Siegfried and his group would find themselves in situations such as the one presently unfolding.

"...What is this? This is not money." The shopkeeping woman said, holding a gold coin up to her eyes, and turning it around. "Are you trying to fool me? Give me the rice back."

The crowd began to murmur. "Foreigners - they never bring any good. They expect us to accept their ways and customs, and have no respect for our own." Siegfried could not understand the words of the woman or the crowd around him, but it was not hard to determine what they were thinking. Luckily, the inclusion of Setsuka into their party had done wonders to quickly remedy these types of scenarios.

"Excuse me," Setsuka began, "but are you aware that the coin are holding is pure gold?" The shopkeeping woman raised an eyebrow. "A piece of gold that size should buy thrice what we're attempting to purchase - you're lucky he doesn't carry anything less valuable than that gold piece, and that we can't carry any more rice with us."

Impressed murmurs from the crowd.

The woman closed her fist around the coin, and held it closer. "I don't know why I should believe you, but it'd be more trouble than it's worth to argue. Go on - take the rice then."

Siegfried bowed, uttered the proper Japanese words of gratitude, and the group was soon on its way again. They left the village, and traveled down a road beside a river that led to the next city.

However, despite the convenience that Setsuka had brought them, her slightly brash nature would also bring them occasional inconveniences, as well.

"...What do we do about them?" Ivy asked. She didn't need to indicate whom she was speaking of; the others could sense them - a group of men following them by a short distance.

"...I apologize for putting us in danger." Setsuka said, acknowledging that she'd tipped the men off by mentioning the value of Siegfried's gold in front of a large crowd. "The men following us are likely the types who kill rich travelers at night - and next city is two days away, with no inns along the way..."

"...Which means we'll need to deal with them before they try to slit our throats while we sleep somewhere unprotected." Ivy concluded.

The group continued walking in silence, each member quietly trying to think up the best way to deal with the would-be bandits.

"There are about ten." Siegfried said. "We've handled more, but the challenge would be finding a way to - "

Siegfried was too distracted to finish his sentence. Most would be distracted by an arrow flying past one's head.

"Your assumption was incorrect, Ivy." Siegfried growled as he reached over his shoulder, grabbed the hilt of Requiem, and raised it out of its sheath so that the flat of the blade protected the back of his head.

Everyone quickly knelt to the ground. The Alexandra sisters raised their shields before them, while Tira and Ivy did the same with their weapons. Setsuka opened the umbrella that was always at her side, and held it to cover her body. It would be a poor defense against arrows, but it would at least prevent the snipers from seeing her head.

The group once again silently tried to think up the best way to deal with the bandits, although this time they did not have very long to do so. "...I'm the most protected." Siegfried said quickly. "I'll stop them."

If bandits could be credited for any one thing, it would be that they prevented road travel from ever becoming boring. They were a threat in every land, and although Siegfried and the others would don civilian clothing for city travel, they would always re-equip their armor as soon as they were beyond a city's limits. Siegfried, in his full suit of armor, stood the best chance of withstanding the impact of an arrowhead, and without time to formulate a better plan, rose to his feet and began to dash toward the bandits.

"Siegfried! What are you doing? Stop!" Setsuka hissed.

"Let him go." Ivy said nonchalantly, the only member of the group who seemed to be calm. Her composure was less likely due to indifference than it was to the fact that she had seen Siegfried slaughter armies firsthand. "If you're going to worry about anyone, worry about those poor bastards firing the arrows." The only question in her mind was if Siegfried would live up to his reputation without the 'aid' of Soul Edge.

The men were standing atop a hill, firing down at the group. Siegfried held his Zweihänder in front of his face, pointing downward, flat side facing the men, and was charging top speed up the hill toward them. "I AM WARNING YOU! STOP NOW!" Siegfried bellowed. He knew that the men would not understand his words, but he hoped that there would be a chance that they would heed his warning anyway. They did not. They fired a shower of arrows at him, few of which actually struck him - but glanced harmlessly off of his armor.

Siegfried waited until he could hear the sound of steel being removed from a sheath, and then raised his sword in proper position for combat. He held his sword straight out to the right, parallel to the ground, and when one of the men was within range, he swung his Requiem at him. The flat of the blade struck the man, knocking him through the air. Siegfried was now in the middle of their group, and the men could not afford to fire their arrows without risk of shooting one another with a missed shot, so they, too, drew their own swords.

Siegfried did not spend even a moment in hesitation. He quickly moved from man to man in order of proximity, knocking them away with the flat of his blade, continuously swinging the massive sword and sending a man flying with each swing.

"This is extremely nostalgic." Ivy mused. "Except before, they were usually split in half."

A deep contrast to his previous days, Siegfried was only using his weapon in a pacifistic manner, dealing blows meant to send his opponents onto their backs, not into their graves. He swung his sword at one man who was holding his katana up in a defensive position. Siegfried's sword split the man's katana in half, and one shard flew into the man's face, leaving a deep gash. The man screamed as he was knocked away. Siegfried hesitated upon witnessing the sight.

Footsteps on the grass behind him.

Siegfried ducked, spun in place, and swung his sword in a wide arc close to the ground. The man charging at him yelped as he was tripped by the sword, and landed at Siegfried's feet. Siegfried slowly rose up, looking down at the man. The man then rolled onto his back, shoved a hand into his clothing, and pulled out -

One of those, in Japan?

BLAM

The women gasped.

Siegfried staggered.

He looked down at the hole in his armor.

...No - it was a dent. The bullet had not passed through.

The man was already reloading his pistol for another shot. Siegfried then shoved his sword down and used the flat side of the blade to pin the man's arm to the ground. He pressed the sword down harder until the man groaned and let go of the firearm.

Siegfried once again rose to his feet, looking down at the man. He turned his attention to the others around him - they had far less spunk than their pistol-wielding companion. Most had at least a few broken ribs or limbs. Siegfried knelt down and picked up the pistol. The man at his feet winced. Siegfried ignored him, and began to walk across the hill, picking up each groaning man's katana and bow.

When he was done, he tossed the weapons into the deep and fast-moving river beside the road, and then walked down the hill to join his companions.

"...Master! You're amazing!" Tira said.

Siegfried smiled weakly.

"Wait - wait a minute." Setsuka said. "Aren't you going to kill them?"

Siegfried turned to her. "I thought I had made it clear before - I do not approve of killing."

She stared at him for a few minutes, then shook her head slightly. "Those men tried to kill you – all of us! They tried to kill travelers who had done no wrong, simply to take their gold! Those men are scum!"

"I will kill no one." Siegfried said flatly.

"If you let them live, then they'll just kill and rob other people!" Setsuka said.

"I have no right to judge the worth of others' lives. I have no right to decide who should live and who should die." Siegfried said. "...Everyone deserves a chance to change their ways. Everyone deserves a chance to redeem themselves for their sins. No one deserves to die...before they have that chance."

Setsuka scoffed. "I doubt those men will decide to turn their lives around after this. Perhaps one or two will, but the majority of them will heal up, procure new weapons, and return to their ways."

"...So I should kill them all, even the one or two that would go on to turn their lives around? So I should kill them all, for sins they have not yet committed?"

Setsuka's mouth was nearly agape. "There is nothing to consider here! Those men are criminals! They're murderers and are only going to kill more people! Do you really think they deserve any mercy? They should die!"

"I am a criminal. I have killed. I will most likely be forced to kill again." Siegfried said. "Do I deserve no mercy? Should I die?"

Setsuka finally fell silent.

"I understand your reasoning. But I do not kill. Never again." Siegfried said with an edge normally not present in his voice.

He gathered what items he had been forced to drop to deal with the menace. As he did so, the others slowly began to do so as well. When they were prepared, they set out once again.

---

Setsuka' easygoing personality and large repertoire of interesting experiences had provided the group with a far less boring traveling experience since they had met her, but after her argument with Siegfried, she had been tense and silent.

Once night fell, the group found a suitable spot by the side of the road to stop and sleep. They built a small fire, and cooked their dinner over it. Occasionally, a member of the group would stand up, excuse themself from the camp, walk into the woods, and return shortly. It was a natural and perfectly understandable occurrence. However, when Siegfried got up to tend to his body's needs, Setsuka seemed to tense up, as if an opportunity she had been waiting for had finally arrived. After a minute or so since Siegfried had left, she stood up. "I need to talk to Siegfried." She said, and walked off in the direction he had gone.

The women were silent for a few moments, until one spoke up.

"Well. Shall we start placing bets?" Ivy asked.

"...Bets on what?" Cassandra asked.

Ivy rolled her eyes. "Never mind. More rice please."

---

As Siegfried was walking back to the camp, a beautiful woman came out of hiding from behind a tree. "Siegfried." She said, a hint of anger noticeable in her voice. "There's something I'd like to discuss."

Siegfried seemed uneager to invite what he knew would be an unpleasant conversation, but nodded.

"You told me that you don't condone killing." Setsuka said. "I've told you that I plan to kill a man. ...Yet you haven't said a single disapproving word about it."

Siegfried was not sure how to respond.

"Tell me, Siegfried. What do you think of my plan?"

Siegfried could not help but feel that Setsuka's approach was clumsy, and unlike her - she was usually more...well-spoken than this. Siegfried's philosophy clashed with Setsuka's very mission in life - which perhaps caused her to question herself and her goal. He knew she must be quite upset about the matter to approach him so hastily.

"...I admit to hypocrisy." Siegfried said. He knew that was a strong remark, but rather than stubbornly defend himself and his philosophy, he'd rather let Setsuka know that he didn't consider himself perfect. "I never considered it. I suppose I don't usually think to judge others or their missions. Your journey...is one of revenge. I know - intimately - how the thirst for revenge feels. I was never able to taste the satisfaction of successful revenge - but I have, hundreds, thousands of times - been forced to taste the guilt of ending a life." Siegfried looked down. "...At night...when I sleep...I see them - their faces - in my dreams...my nightmares. Once you have killed, you cannot forget it. You cannot undo it. You cannot wipe the stain of blood from yourself. Even if you convince yourself that it was justified - the guilt will follow you - haunt you." Siegfried looked up. "I cannot reform every bandit. I cannot convince every person with murder on their minds to change their resolve. I let other people live their lives. I do not judge them, or try to change or reform them..."

A genuinely sad look appeared in Siegfried's eyes. "...But I do beg you to reconsider your resolution."

For a few moments, Setsuka seemed almost taken aback to see Siegfried that way - sad, begging. She glanced away, unable to look him in the eye. After a long silence, still not looking at him, she replied.

"...Not everyone has a conscience like yours, Siegfried...not everyone has your sense of guilt. If I had to kill to defend myself, or killed the type of scum that murders innocent people without remorse, I would never feel guilt."

"You say that - but have you ever killed?" Siegfried asked.

Still looking away, Setsuka didn't answer his question. "...You never got to find out what the satisfaction of revenge feels like. You never got to find out if there is any guilt involved. ...And, ironically, you feel guilt because of deaths caused not by you, but by something that was controlling you. I don't think you're qualified to tell me whether or not I'll be plagued with remorse. I'm not even sure if you have a right to feel as much self-pity as you do."

Setsuka heard a twig snap. The sound came from Siegfried's direction. She turned her eyes back to him. He didn't appear to have moved, but appeared to be just a litter nearer. Had he stepped closer very quickly, and resumed his previous posture just as fast?

If that was the case, then he had lunged for her, and then stopped himself at the last second.

...No. She was imaging things. He hadn't moved at all.

...Hadn't moved at all...

"...I'm sorry, Siegfried." She said. "I find your morals to be respectable. I think you're a good person. I don't think your philosophies are foolish. It's just that...part of me feels that...some of your feelings might be...misplaced." No reaction from Siegfried. She looked away again. "...About Mitsurugi...I still hate him for what he did to my caretaker. I still wish death upon him. As for whether or not I'll actually kill him..." She paused again. "...My plans...haven't changed. ...Although...who knows what I'll eventually decide to do."

Siegfried seemed to have nothing to say.

Setsuka smirked. "...Speaking of indecision, you never told me exactly how you're going to pay me for being your guide."

Siegfried looked up again.

"...If I remember, I gave you two options..." Setsuka said, beginning to slowly walk toward him. "The first option was money...which we all seem to be pooling, anyway. The second option..." She stopped in front of him, and smiled seductively. "...Do you remember what that was...?"

Siegfried's eyes darted to and away from Setsuka, and occasionally at her cleavage.

"Hm...you know, I bet you feel kind of cheated, don't you? You paid for a night with a sexy woman, and yet nothing ever happened. Don't you feel as if you deserve something?"

Siegfried's mouth seemed to be trying to speak, but no words came out.

Setsuka extended an arm and began to trace a fingertip down Siegfried's chest. "You've got a very impressive body, you know...Big, strong, powerful...I'm curious how you'd use your body while making love..."

"...I feel...the same way..." Siegfried whispered before stopping himself.

Setsuka smiled. "Hm, Siegfried...would you show me? Quickly, here, now? No one would know - and it'd feel so good - I guarantee you of that."

Siegfried's lips trembled, his eyes darted up and down Setsuka's body, and then his whispered his reply. "Yes."

Setsuka took a deep breath, and then let out a long sigh - one that didn't sound sensual at all. "Aw, Siegfried...tsk tsk tsk!" She held up her hands and shook her said. "After everything you said about wanting more self-control and trying to avoid quick flings...a woman who plans to murder somebody comes on to you in the woods, and you'd bang her right there?"

Siegfried's mouth hung open. He stammered a few times.

Setsuka sighed again. "Well, on second thought, I don't blame you. Few can resist the famous Setsuka, after all." She said, doing an exaggeratedly sexy pose. "I can't say I'm not a little disappointed right now, but I'm sure that, with some work, I can eventually train you to have that self-control you want so bad."

Siegfried looked hurt.

"...Aw, sorry, Siegfried. I didn't really want to lead you on and then disappoint you, I just wanted to see this supposed 'lack of self-control' for myself. I'd make it up to you the best way I know how, but you're trying to avoid that sort of thing, so...I suppose, as compensation, I'll just be your guide for free...for now, at least."

Siegfried stared at Setsuka, his face unreadable.

Setsuka walked backwards, stifling laughter. "...Hehe...Please try to forgive me!" She turned and walked back to the camp, giggling.

When Siegfried returned to the camp looking more miserable and disappointed than anyone had ever seen him, Ivy had but one thing to say.

"Well, there's 20 coins I would have lost."