Lao Lu could feel the energy in the air. Ghou Gin tried to leap in the air, using his steam. Lao stopped him by sending out a wave of electricity at him. He grunted as he fell to the ground. He tried to get up again but another wave of electricity coursed through him, making him collapse.

Ghou Gin gritted his teeth and fought through the paralyzing pain to launch in the air and escape the waves of electricity. He burst through the dark cloud that had formed on the ground. He could still see flashes in the dark grey mist.

A bolt of lightning snaked out, Ghou Gin barely dodged it. He continued to fly around, trying to get higher into the air. Another bolt shot out, this one hitting him. His mouth opened but not sound came out as electricity coursed through him. The Steam Dragon fell through the air, smoke coming from him.

He fell for a few moments before regaining consciousness. He flipped around and used more steam to halt his fall and propel himself into the air.

“Damn, he is tough!” Lao said to herself. “I guess I better use my best technique.”

Electricity began to gather around her.

Meanwhile Ghou Gin was circling in the air. “I won’t survive if I get hit like that again. I’ll need a Level 2 Steam Expansion Explosion!” He began to gather a sphere of steam between his hands. The sphere grew bigger than his body. He swung his hand down to throw the sphere.

Lao had gathered electricity about her, it began to take the shape of a coiled cobra.

“Level 2 Steam Expansion Bomb!” Ghou Gin shouted before tossing the sphere made of steam.

“Lightning Cobra Strike!” Lao shouted before extending her arm to the direction of Ghou Gin.

The attack was fast, in a flash it was already upon Ghou Gin. If the his Steam Ball was not in the way, he would have taken the brunt of the attack but now the sphere of steam was in the Lightning snake’s maw. Residual electricity flowed out the snake and struck Ghou Gin who was sent falling back.

Lao clenched her fist and as she did, the lightning cobra bit down on the spherical bomb, shrinking its size. Just when Lao was about to relax, the sphere exploded, obliterating her Cobra.

“No!” She said, trying to use her remaining lightning to contain the blast but it kept extending and engulfed her as she shouted.

When the explosion had ended, Lao was lying on the ground. Her lower body was hanging off a crater, that was created by the explosion. The crater was so deep that the bottom was shrouded in darkness.

Though her face was bruised and stained with blood, she was still alive, breathing heavily.

A moment later a body fell with a thud onto the ground. A moment later, Ghou Gin sat up. He too looked as bad as Lao but he still had the power to move and fight.

Lao gritted her teeth and glared at Ghou Gin.

“You are one tough warrior.” He said as he walked towards her, a sword made of steam forming in his hands.

“Captain Lao!”

Lao looked up as he team was rushing towards them.

“No!” Ghou Gin said as he began running for Lao.

“We need to stop him!” Zen said. He activated the staff, turning it into a whip. He flicked it to catch Ghou Gin’s ankle.

“Steam Leap!” Ghou Gin said, launching himself forward with the steam and escaping the whip’s grasp.

Dandan leapt into the hole in the ground when she saw this.

Ghou Gin as upon Lao and swung his sword down. Lao let go of the ledge dodging as the sword cleaved through the ground.

She fell into the crater then Dandan burst from the side of the crater and caught Lao before tunnelling into the other side.

A moment later they both popped up next to Zen, Shibi and Chun.

“Dandan, you saved me.” Lao said.

Dandan smirked, “You think I’d let you leave me with these idiot boys.”

Ghou Gin laughed. “Man, you guys are powerful. I guess I better finish this with my best.” Gin raised his arm above his head. “Level 1 Steam Expansion Bomb!”

For a moment, nothing happened then the air around them began to heat up. All moisture and air was sucked out from around them. The group collapsed as the air became thinner and thinner.

“Shibi, try to add some fire, maybe it will interrupt the technique.” Zen said.

Shibi got up threw a stream of continuous fire at the Steam Dragon. The fire was being absorbed into the Steam Bomb, destabilizing it.

“Its working!” Zen said.

Ghou Gin was trying to stabalize the technique that was threatening to fall apart thanks to the additional heat Shibi was adding.

Shibi then collapsed onto the ground.

“B-Buddy?” Zen said.

“Need.. air…” Shibi said.

Ghou Gin was able to stabalize the technique. The ball of steam grew to three times the size of a human. As big as a small house. He leapt up, shooting into the air.

As soon as he did, they could breath a little easier.

“What’s he doing now?” Chun said.

“The explosion that technique would cause would be huge,” Lao said. “He needs to get high in the air to get clear of the explosion.”

“Well, I guess that means its over for us.” Chun said. “None of my techniques can reach that far into the air and I doubt we can dig deep enough to be safe.”

“No,” Zen got to his feet. “I can still stop it but I’ll need your help.”