Both Stephen and Na wasted no time closing in on the Trickster, but a glaring issue immediately plagued their momentum: Stephen was practically running on empty.
He had pushed his heart and lungs far beyond their natural limits during his high-speed charge into the tree. His entire body was screaming for oxygen, feeling impossibly heavy—apart from his arms, which were still being mechanically supported by the exoskeleton frame. Knowing the Trickster was still an erratic, highly dangerous opponent, Stephen forced his legs to move. He didn't attempt a full sprint, settling instead on pacing Na to press the assassin from both sides.
Na unleashed a flurry of heavy, compact strikes, but the Trickster's evasive instincts were sharp. The blows missed, slicing through thin air with a loud whoosh. As the young assassin ducked and slipped away, he threw out a series of desperate counter-kicks, praying the blade extended from his boot toe would pierce a vital organ in Na's torso.
