"Perhaps I simply knew that you would intervene on my behalf as soon as I perceived you near," Kuja counters, which is...stretching the truth a bit. Honestly, he hadn't seen Cloud coming, nor the other creatures, and is in Cloud's debt, but he doesn't like to admit it. Not so much because being in Cloud's debt would be a bad thing - he does trust the mercenary, probably rather more than Cloud yet trusts him - but more because he doesn't like admitting to how weak he is. That he needed assistance.

It's true that he would have trusted Cloud to have his back if he'd known, at least. Not so much for any feelings Cloud might have for him - certainly, a Cloud who doesn't remember him can't be expected to have any - but he doesn't think Cloud is the type of person who'd see another in danger and do nothing. Trust in Cloud's nature, rather than his good will.

He sighs irritably. "In any case, I trust that your ability to swing a sword is less impeded in this world than my magic? These mere cantrips are a pale shadow of what I ought to be able to do, but it seems this world has a dampening effect on powers from outside it."