Since Azi's focus was already intensely on the lancer's movements due to him aiming for a counter, he had no trouble keeping up with the strafe. Planting the back end into the earth, he sharply changed directions and pinned his opponent's back hand against his hip to stop him from lashing out with it. At the same time, Azi swept with his left leg to trip him as he drove forward, slamming his shoulder into the lancer's gut. His hope was to at least knock the wind out of him if he couldn't knock him over, though Azi would probably knock the wind out of himself either way.

The less than brutish Azi wasn't enough to drive back the Lancer, but his connection was more than enough to keep his foe from retaliating in that moment. In the next however, the guard rose his left arm to Azi's chest and pushed him back as he pulled his Lance further behind himself with his right hand. After making ample distance between them, he spun the lance infront of himself and began to stab forward.