Connections

Kieran's expression, though as much as he tried to hide it, began showing signs of weakness. With the amount of energy he exhausted going against Wendell, plus the additional burden he accepted by battling Daedric, his energy reserves were essentially empty.

Taking a step back, Kieran tugged on his suit jacket, tidying up his somewhat disheveled appearance, including some strands of hair that had fallen below his brow, almost obstructing essential parts of his vision.

He grimaced, looking toward Dr. Riley and the others while opening and closing his hand. By this time, it had gone numb. Even with his lack of expertise, Kieran was sure this hand had suffered extensive damage to the muscle, bone, and tendons.

Daedric's body had proved to be incomparably sturdy. 

If not for Kieran's repeated attacks on the same area, breaching his opponent's defense would have taken considerably longer. Perhaps he would have been exhausted by that point.