Is there way to slice an Association with named key span?

Span currently doesn't accept named keys:

<|"z" -> 1, "x" -> 2, "b" -> 3, "a" -> 4|>  // Query["x" ;; "a"]

Missing["PartInvalid", "x" ;; "a"]

And neither does passing Key["x"] and Key["a"] to Span.

Here is a workaround using Position - which only matches Values in an Association - so relies on 1. normalizing, 2. projecting the first component of the matching Positions then 3. querying the rebuilt association using the resulting position Span.

keySpan[k1_, k2_][as_Association] := 
  Query[{Identity, Normal /* Position[k1 | k2] /* Map[First] }  /* 
     Replace[{a_, pos_} :> Query[Span[pos]][a]]][as];

Then:

<|"z" -> 1, "x" -> 2, "b" -> 3, "a" -> 4, "c" -> 5|>  // keySpan[2, 4]

<|"x" -> 2, "b" -> 3, "a" -> 4|>

Is there a method that avoids normalizing the association?

Is there way to slice an Association with named key span?

Span currently doesn't accept named keys:

<|"z" -> 1, "x" -> 2, "b" -> 3, "a" -> 4|>  // Query["x" ;; "a"]

Missing["PartInvalid", "x" ;; "a"]

And neither does passing Key["x"] and Key["a"] to Span.

Here is a workaround using Position - which only matches Values in an Association - so relies on 1. normalizing, 2. projecting the first component of the matching Positions then 3. querying the rebuilt association using the resulting position Span.

keySpan[k1_, k2_][as_Association] := 
  Query[{Identity, Normal /* Position[k1 | k2] /* Map[First] }  /* 
     Replace[{a_, pos_} :> Query[Span[pos]][a]]][as];

Then:

<|"z" -> 1, "x" -> 2, "b" -> 3, "a" -> 4, "c" -> 5|>  // keySpan["x", "a"]

<|"x" -> 2, "b" -> 3, "a" -> 4|>

Is there a method that avoids normalizing the association?