Mizu manages not to roll her eyes at the comment about surprising Vergil not impressing him. About wanting to know if she can do better. So long as he continues to spar and fight with her, Mizu doesn't need his good opinion. She's past wanting people to think well of her. Disappointment and pain are the only things to come of that. A small pang at the thought. Ringo's rejection and cold shoulder. Someone whose opinion she never thought would matter.

Vergil, thankfully, knows that too. Knows his opinion doesn't matter. That makes everything far more acceptable. Tolerable. Comfortable even. As much as Mizu goes everywhere with a sword, it is possible to be caught without it, to have to fight without it. Mizu resists the urge to grab something else to act as a weapon. She's weaker than Vergil. A pure contest of might would go his way. As much as Mizu hates to admit it, even without him using his full strength, it could. No she must use more than that. She must use his strength against him. "You might take down a wall if you did that."

Then he'd have an issue with his neighbor. Not Mizu, though.

She shifts into a stance, adapting from one meant to have a sword, because Mizu has never trained particularly to fight without weapons. Some techniques have come over time. A move here. Another there. The focus, however, has always been swords. Still, she has some experience. She pinned Taigen. Repeatedly.

Mizu closes the gap. A jab. A feint. A move to sweep his front leg out from under him. It isn't a brawl, but Mizu doesn't fight clean either.