After inspecting the scene where Mary's mother was killed, how could Kieran not take precaution against such a stab?
In fact, not only did Kieran come up with precautions, he even placed himself in the situation, simulating how would he face the stab.
Dodging was the first option Kieran ditched.
Under the circumstances of not knowing whether the sixth had some follow-up skill after his attack, a direct dodge would cause Kieran to fall into a possible relentless combo attack, forcing him into a tight corner.
The second option that Kieran ditched was blocking.
The stab from the sixth man was certainly fast. If there was no negative effect of [Heavy] from [Armor of Excellence], Kieran might still consider blocking. But with it on his body, he couldn't afford to do so.
[Armor of Excellence] was not a backpack that he could remove anytime. The time consumed to take it off would allowed the sixth man to stab him like a beehive.
