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The Breathing Style is a technique used to strengthen heart and lung function, allowing the blood to absorb a massive amount of oxygen in a short period, which in turn causes physical abilities to skyrocket in an instant.
Although Fini had told himself he wouldn't complain about the quality of his skills anymore, he still felt a trace of disappointment deep down.
He had been hoping to pull another magical skill similar to "Explosion Magic." As for his physical stats, between the protection of "Incursio" and the amplification from "Ars Magna," he wasn't exactly weak.
Furthermore, his intended combat style was supposed to be a long-range "kite" build. Now that his body was becoming progressively stronger, was he really destined to become a melee mage?!
After pulling the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, he had already worried about being labeled a "Silver Dragon Knight." If he changed his fighting style too, he would truly be cementing that "Knight" title.
"I just want to be a proper mage!" Fini sighed inwardly, then proceeded to test the effects of the Breathing Style.
Soon, the disappointment in his eyes beneath the visor vanished, replaced by a flash of surprise and delight.
He discovered that while using the Breathing Style, he could actually absorb energy. To put it differently, it wasn't just a physical burst skill as he had imagined—it was a cultivation technique.
And it was semi-passive!
Humans need to breathe. As long as Fini wasn't planning on "rejecting his humanity" anytime soon, he couldn't escape that fact.
Therefore, if Fini could master it, he could keep his body in the "Breathing Style" state indefinitely—even while sleeping. This meant he would be growing stronger twenty-four hours a day.
Fini couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement. Up until now, aside from "Incursio" and "Sumire's Special Fried Chicken Rolls," his other four skills could all be further enhanced beyond their base power.
"Ars Magna" required a steady supply of energy to achieve powerful effects. "Sky Dance" was essentially controlling energy to fly; if he used his own internal energy, the results would naturally be better.
"Explosion Magic" went without saying. Aside from the incantations and the "Ars Magna" buff, Kamar-Taj's mana had always been the primary way to boost its destructive power.
Even the Blue-Eyes White Dragon evolved by consuming energy. In short, energy was the foundation for every single one of his skills.
For a long time, that foundation had been supplemented by Kamar-Taj's mana. Unfortunately, his talent for the mystic arts was mediocre; his mana was barely enough to maintain a portal or slightly boost "Ars Magna."
But now, he had finally drawn a skill that allowed him to cultivate energy. In his excitement, Fini's rhythm faltered, and he slipped out of the Breathing state.
This made him realize that while the technique was powerful, it wasn't something that could be mastered casually, let alone maintained around the clock.
Fini activated the skill again, steadying his breath and absorbing the surrounding energy. Perhaps due to the unique nature of this "Breathing Style," the first thing he felt was a searing, sun-like heat.
Unbeknownst to him, a faint red glow flickered momentarily across the surface of "Incursio."
Because he hadn't watched the anime, Fini didn't know that Breathing Styles were traditionally paired with Nichirin Swords and specific sword techniques. The combination of all three was the key to humans slaying demons in that world, and the most effective way to utilize the breath.
Since he had only drawn the "Breathing Style" itself, he theoretically shouldn't have been able to exert the ability's maximum potential.
Fortunately, he had the System. He had "Incursio"!
The greatest strength of "Incursio" wasn't its defense or its invisibility; it was the fact that it was an armor that could evolve alongside its user.
Fini didn't have a Nichirin Sword or sword techniques, but as "Incursio" evolved, it wasn't impossible for it to manifest the secondary effects of the Breathing Style. Regardless, the mere ability to cultivate his own energy made this seventh draw a massive win.
Time flew by as Fini experimented with his new "breath." A few hours passed in the blink of an eye. As the sun began to rise, the group had mostly finished their recovery.
"Are we headed to New York?" Fini asked, surprised to see the familiar skyline through the window.
"Yes. Tracking shows Loki has parked the Helicarrier over New York!" Nick Fury said, stepping out from the co-pilot's seat to address the group. "Intelligence from inside the carrier reports that Loki just left in a jet. We need a plan."
"Last time your 'plan' had us dodging missiles for minutes. This time, I hope it isn't a nuke," Tony quipped, looking annoyed.
Fini couldn't help but glance at Tony. Does this guy have a 'jinx' talent too? he wondered, feeling a bit worried for the citizens of New York.
"We may have underestimated Loki, but he underestimated us too," Fury said, attempting to boost morale. "He tried to trap the Knight of Divine Punishment and failed. He tried to kill you all and failed."
"He wants to rule Earth, to rule us—but he won't succeed!"
"What's the move?" Captain America asked. As a veteran orator himself, he wasn't particularly moved by Fury's speech. He remembered clearly that the root of this mess was S.H.I.E.L.D. meddling with the Tesseract.
"We split into three teams. The Captain, Agent Barton, and I will infiltrate the carrier to secure the situation. Stark, you head back first to repair your suit, then locate Loki and assist in evacuating the civilians. Thor and Fini—you two hunt down Loki!"
Fury paused, then added hesitantly, "Watch out for Dr. Banner."
Fini had no objections. He needed to get his hands on the Scepter and the Tesseract anyway, and he was more than happy to settle the score for being ambushed.
As for the Hulk, Fini felt he could deal with him easily enough—just open a portal and drop him on Mount Everest to chill out for a bit. His only concern was whether that would damage the world's tallest peak.
Tony didn't argue either. His suit had been hammered by Thor and blasted by missiles; it was currently a wreck. He desperately needed to replenish his power and ammunition.
Thor, meanwhile, only cared about catching Loki.
With the plan set, they moved out. Fury's arrangement accounted for the fact that Thor, Fini, and Tony could all fly and didn't need the jet.
Fini took off using "Sky Dance," Thor swung his hammer to take flight, and Tony soared in his armor. But as Fini and Thor followed Fury's directions to pursue Loki, they realized the target zone was heading straight for Manhattan.
"Tony," Fini called out during the flight, "how long has it been since your new tower was finished!?"
(End of Chapter)