Being in Folkmore doesn't appear to have lessened Mizu's desire for revenge in any meaningful way. Perhaps it is delaying it a bit in terms of direct action, but that delay does not mean much to Mizu. He's eager, but he's willing to demonstrate some patience and take advantage of the time he has here to study, learn, and train. Vergil wonders if the same would be true if he hadn't come here, but he doesn't think so. If there was a genuine barrier to Mizu pursuing his quarry, he'd seek the path forward while maintaining his skills. Obstacles could never likely dissuade something that seems to be so deeply embedded into the fabric of Mizu's being that it pulses through him with every beating of his heart.
"You would be boring if otherwise were true." It would be too stagnant in fighting Mizu again and again if there weren't signs of improvement each time, if Mizu didn't push him in his own way. "I can assure you that it's not a reflection of your skills or strength, so I don't mean it as an insult, but it's actually more difficult for me to hold back than anything else when we fight. Outside of fights and sparring as a child with Dante, every fight for me has been to the death."
He hums in light amusement as he looks away from Mizu again. In the grand scheme of his life, most were no contest. He dispatched his foes quickly and easily, usually with a single strike of Yamato. A few, however, Vergil's life was on the line, too, not just his opponent's life. There was no room for mistakes or easing up at any point during those battles, and Vergil had to use every ounce of his strength and power to see them through to the end.
"You're not the same. Each time we've fought, you've grown even if it's just a little. It keeps it...interesting. I have to rely on more than just my power alone, and the more you improve, the more I must think." He looks back at Mizu again, considering the other man for a moment before he smiles faintly and looks back outside the balcony. "I suppose in a strange sense, I almost want to see you defeat me in battle someday. For a human to have worked so hard and honed his skills so much to accomplish something like that, I would think of that as something remarkable, not shameful."
Vergil still views it as an impossible feat. As he said, he's holding back a great deal in each fight with Mizu to avoid putting an end to their sparring too early or to bring about irrevocable harm to Mizu. Even as Mizu grows and Vergil happens to find himself needing to access more of his power to maintain his victory over the other swordsman, there is still a great wealth of it not yet tapped into. It's unlikely Mizu will ever go that far as a human to result in Vergil approaching their sparring with his all. But he would not rob Mizu of the accomplishment if it were to happen. Bruised as Vergil's ego would be in the moment for losing, another part of him wouldn't see it as a shameful defeat and would be able to recognize all that Mizu would have had to do to get to that point.
"That being said, if your plan next time is more explosives, I would advise you to reconsider." He glances at Mizu out of the corner of his eye. "You reveal things as well each time we fight, Mizu, and you would do well to remember that."
He's mostly teasing, but there's also an undercurrent to which he is being sincere, too. Mizu won't be able to pull something like the stunt he pulled today again. Vergil will be prepared for it next time.
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Being in Folkmore doesn't appear to have lessened Mizu's desire for revenge in any meaningful way. Perhaps it is delaying it a bit in terms of direct action, but that delay does not mean much to Mizu. He's eager, but he's willing to demonstrate some patience and take advantage of the time he has here to study, learn, and train. Vergil wonders if the same would be true if he hadn't come here, but he doesn't think so. If there was a genuine barrier to Mizu pursuing his quarry, he'd seek the path forward while maintaining his skills. Obstacles could never likely dissuade something that seems to be so deeply embedded into the fabric of Mizu's being that it pulses through him with every beating of his heart.
"You would be boring if otherwise were true." It would be too stagnant in fighting Mizu again and again if there weren't signs of improvement each time, if Mizu didn't push him in his own way. "I can assure you that it's not a reflection of your skills or strength, so I don't mean it as an insult, but it's actually more difficult for me to hold back than anything else when we fight. Outside of fights and sparring as a child with Dante, every fight for me has been to the death."
He hums in light amusement as he looks away from Mizu again. In the grand scheme of his life, most were no contest. He dispatched his foes quickly and easily, usually with a single strike of Yamato. A few, however, Vergil's life was on the line, too, not just his opponent's life. There was no room for mistakes or easing up at any point during those battles, and Vergil had to use every ounce of his strength and power to see them through to the end.
"You're not the same. Each time we've fought, you've grown even if it's just a little. It keeps it...interesting. I have to rely on more than just my power alone, and the more you improve, the more I must think." He looks back at Mizu again, considering the other man for a moment before he smiles faintly and looks back outside the balcony. "I suppose in a strange sense, I almost want to see you defeat me in battle someday. For a human to have worked so hard and honed his skills so much to accomplish something like that, I would think of that as something remarkable, not shameful."
Vergil still views it as an impossible feat. As he said, he's holding back a great deal in each fight with Mizu to avoid putting an end to their sparring too early or to bring about irrevocable harm to Mizu. Even as Mizu grows and Vergil happens to find himself needing to access more of his power to maintain his victory over the other swordsman, there is still a great wealth of it not yet tapped into. It's unlikely Mizu will ever go that far as a human to result in Vergil approaching their sparring with his all. But he would not rob Mizu of the accomplishment if it were to happen. Bruised as Vergil's ego would be in the moment for losing, another part of him wouldn't see it as a shameful defeat and would be able to recognize all that Mizu would have had to do to get to that point.
"That being said, if your plan next time is more explosives, I would advise you to reconsider." He glances at Mizu out of the corner of his eye. "You reveal things as well each time we fight, Mizu, and you would do well to remember that."
He's mostly teasing, but there's also an undercurrent to which he is being sincere, too. Mizu won't be able to pull something like the stunt he pulled today again. Vergil will be prepared for it next time.