Although Valeria doesn't actually know the mechanism of my Origin: Pride, she knows what it does to me. Her willingly fighting me must be her way of preparing me for the upcoming battle that is going to be more life-threatening than the situation I have ever been in.
I don't know how much she holds back—I have never gauged, nor do I dare to, her real power—but I believe she is giving me enough power-ups to significantly raise my odds of surviving.
Still, though, she is as merciless as usual.
"Well, I lost, it seems."
"That is to be expected."
Looking at the tip of the sword that is being pointed at me while I am lying on the ground, I wonder just what kind of Spell Valeria used to allow such an ordinary Relic to perform so well against Rexorem.