If he's still fighting, at least he's winning. Skulduggery is by no means an expert, but the speeding rate of Akito's breathing suggests some form of anxiety attack. He can guess what triggered it, but he's not sure exactly how, and so only takes a single step forward.

That single step, however, is firm and unwavering. "I'm sorry," Skulduggery says evenly, "but I can't do that. Are you compromised?"

A direct question, as far as questions go, but it serves its purpose well enough.