That rare laugh is its own sort of victory, though Mizu could not compare it to one with the sword. She knows Vergil is confident in his skills and abilities. Rightfully so at his level, but Mizu will get there. She will scratch and claw and bite her way better and better until she does defeat him in a way he cannot question.

"It's your actions, your choices, that see them losses. Some supernatural ability you would not otherwise use being forced upon you," Mizu says, "If you did not pride yourself on holding them back, it would be meaningless. I said it was your loss, not my success. It is but a stepping stone which I will use to defeat you."

She hadn't brought multiple grenades today. Would they have done anything to that thick scaled skin that her sword did not? What properties are needed to breach it? Could Vergil have done the same while clearly struggling from internal damage? Mizu cannot claim pleasure at seeing Vergil stagger, injured as he was, but it is useful information, information she might need to win. With all he can do, there's no such thing as fighting fair. There never was.

She runs her fingers slowly across Mirage's Edge, feeling more than she can see with her eyes. This too will help her, not that she needs that reason to get to know it so closely.