how do i beat alma on hard mode? (stuck in chapter 7)

so i have 4 great health elixir and 1 ninpo.

level 3 dragon sword and level 2 lunar and level 2 vigoorian flails.

alma on normal gave me no problem but hard mode fucks me up

Few minor tips:

- if you can, use the essence from the previous fight to start with a Gleaming Blade (360UT with dragon sword). This melts her HP. She starts the fight in her 'flying up' pose, during which she CANNOT avoid you. Guaranteed damage.

- it's better to get an opening than to mindlessly spam FS (which most players do on Normal). She's open after getting up and after her sweep-kickgrab (on the ground).

- prioritize the imps first, they respawn at 25% HP intervals (so not infinite). Try and kill them using either Izuna or a headstomp into a safe combo.

- you can damage her pretty heavily with ninpo. You can for example do a flamewheels loop (active, then XYXXX) when she's downed. Or do this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40e6YQ5me-Y (also shows the free opener at the start).

- her projectiles can be easily dodged by zigzag jumping(?). You dodge left, then press right+jump to jump in that direction. Really screws with her aim. You can also use c.jumping (press forward+jump on landing) to keep jumping to avoid them, find that's more consistent than rolljumping.

Hope some of these help! If not, let me know some specific problems or send a video.

Alma is vulnerable to attacks after beam grab, which is the safe way to punish her, on the ground after leg grab, but it pretty risky on higher difficulties, and she's vulnerable during air dash, as she tanks the flying swallow during animation, but it requires good timing and positioning to pull it off.

Camera can also fuck you up very easily in this fight. I usually try to stay in the centre and avoid getting cornered between pillars, but if that happens use Inferno to I-frames her attacks.

Also funnily enough Izuna Drop's collision can damage her when she in proximity.