Who!?

"Oh~ right..."

I paused and looked at Song Yi.

"Who was it that overestimated himself?"

"Arghhh!"

Song Yi seemed to fly into a rage at those words. He let out a long roar and swung his blade at me.

"Still not giving up?"

I retreated several steps, but he didn't hesitate at all and kept charging toward me. The machete in his hand came down again and again, but all he managed to do was hack at empty air.

I dodged several more swings. He still showed no sign of tiring, but I didn't want to drag this out any longer.

Those few hits had worked, but I'd also felt it when my fist struck him: it was like punching steel. His body was incredibly tough.

He must have been some kind of special mutated person, right?

Trying to knock him out with my fists would be a real hassle. But since I'd put down my blade, I wasn't going to pick it back up.

In that case... I'd just have to try it!

"Shh~ whoo..."

I let out a long breath, searching for that feeling.

I dodged another swing and stepped to the side. Looking at Song Yi before me, I slowly recalled the feeling I'd almost forgotten.

"Shh~ whoo..."

I dodged another slash, but this time Song Yi seemed to go a little mad. After swinging his blade, he recklessly threw himself at me, heedless of his balance.

I didn't have time to dodge and took the full impact. Song Yi immediately grabbed my shoulder and raised the machete high!

"Shh~ hmph!"

Thump-thump~ thump-thump~ thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump!

"Fsh~"

Waves of steam burst from all over my body. My heart leaped!

It worked!

Steam mode was back!

I looked up and saw a flash of surprise cross Song Yi's face, but