"What a cloak. Like I'd even want it."
As Finney lay on his side, crossed his knees mid-air, and cycled through a series of strange poses, he silently muttered to himself—conveniently forgetting the fact that he'd once stood in front of that very cloak all day, hoping for its approval.
Originally, he'd been worried about how he'd escape if the Iron Monger came after him. But now, with both the Sky Dance technique and the portal spell at his disposal, he didn't believe the Iron Monger could pose much of a threat.
Since the fight was now pretty much a sure win, the question wasn't if he could win, but when to start the fight. Tony probably hadn't even finished building the Mark II suit at this point. As for the Iron Monger, those terrorists had likely just dragged the busted-up Mark I out of the sand and were still struggling to cobble something together.
With so much time on his side, Finney wasn't in any rush. He decided it was more important to familiarize himself with the Sky Dance technique first. After all, strength solved everything—no matter what the enemy did, if you were strong enough, you'd have a way to handle it.
After floating around the room a bit longer, Finney finally decided to call it a night. Exhausted, he fell into a deep sleep almost immediately.
The next morning, Finney was full of energy. Since he only had one class in the afternoon, he planned to get some practice in with the Sky Dance technique. But just as he was about to head out, Skye stopped him at the door.
"Where are you going?"
Skye stood blocking the doorway, brows furrowed. She looked suspicious, sensing that Finney was up to something again. Her concern was real—after all, things had gotten dangerous before, and she didn't want a repeat.
"Nothing weird, just regular practice," Finney replied, rolling his eyes at her expression. Then he paused, smirking slightly. "Wanna come with me?"
Skye didn't notice the mischievous look on his face. She simply shook her head with a hint of frustration.
"Forget it. I wouldn't be able to keep up anyway. Just… be careful. Don't push your body too hard again."
Seeing her expression, Finney's smirk faded. He gently patted her head and said softly, "Hey, it's not a big deal if you can't learn this stuff. I already told you—you're going to have your own powers someday. It's just not time yet."
Then, without giving her a chance to respond, he grabbed her hand and opened a portal.
"Let's go. I want to show you something."
"A portal?"
Thanks to his recent breakthroughs, Finney could now use portals even in his normal state—though he still needed help from the 'Golden Great Technique' to do it smoothly.
As the world around them shifted in an instant, Skye stood stunned for a moment before snapping out of it.
"I have so much to do today!" she protested.
"You can rest later," Finney said with a playful grin. Then, with a glint in his eye, he asked,
"By the way… are you afraid of heights?"
"What?" Skye blinked in confusion.
She didn't have to ask again—within seconds, she saw Finney floating above her, bathed in soft moonlight.
"You can fly?!" she gasped.
"Wanna join me in the sky?" he asked, hovering just above the ground with a smile.
Very few people could resist the temptation of flying. Skye certainly wasn't one of them. This wasn't like flying in a plane—it was raw, personal, magical. Her heart pounded with anticipation, and she knew Finney wouldn't offer unless he was confident she'd be safe.
"Come on. I'll hold you," Finney said as he floated down in front of her, scooping her into a princess carry without hesitation.
A blush lit up Skye's face. Her large amber eyes darted away shyly. Sure, they were like siblings—but they weren't really related by blood.
Finney didn't think twice. With Skye in his arms, he soared into the sky. They'd teleported to a lower altitude on Mount Everest, so it wasn't freezing, and the view was breathtaking.
As they rose higher, the snowy landscape beneath them sparkled under the starlit sky. The beauty of the moment swept Skye away—she forgot her embarrassment and gazed out in awe.
"It's… beautiful," she whispered, overcome by the surreal experience.
After a brief flight, Finney landed softly. But as he looked at Skye—who still seemed disappointed about not being able to learn spells—an idea sparked in his mind. Maybe… he could take a risk.
"So… when did you learn how to fly?" Skye asked, still caught up in the experience.
"Just recently," Finney replied. The snowy breakthrough he'd mentioned before had actually been him learning the Sky Dance technique, but this explanation worked just as well.
"I see," Skye nodded, then added with concern, "It's okay to train, but don't hurt yourself again."
Finney chuckled at how she suddenly sounded like an overprotective parent. Then, after a moment of hesitation, he said:
"Skye… I have something that might let you experience a bit of extraordinary power. Want to try it?"
"Huh?" Skye tilted her head, curiosity flickering in her eyes.
Finney summoned the sword Haunted by Demons and held it out.
"This sword adapts to the user's body and transforms into armor. It can greatly enhance your physical abilities. Want to try it on?" he asked.
"The Ancient One tested it before and confirmed it works with others too."
"Can I really?" Skye asked nervously, though her excitement was obvious.
Finney nodded thoughtfully.
"I think it's fine to try. It's still my skill, so I can cancel it any time if something goes wrong. The only concern is… if it doesn't work for you, it might disappoint you even more."
To maximize her chances, Finney first used the Golden Great Technique to strengthen her physical condition. Then, he handed her the sword.
"Haunted by Demons!" Skye shouted.
Red energy poured from the sword, enveloping her. The phantom spirit inside the sword appeared once again. Finney watched closely, observing how the ancient being reacted to her.
"Roar…" A strange, faint sound echoed—not quite hostile, but not happy either. In the end, it wrapped around Skye and accepted her.
Finney recalled how the spirit had roared furiously when meeting the Ancient One. Compared to that, this reaction was like a grumpy kitten puffing itself up.
But the important thing was—it worked.
Skye stood before him, now fully equipped in the Haunted by Demons armor. And to Finney's surprise, her version looked completely different from his own.
"Wait… are those wings?!" he blurted out.
Not only was her armor a totally different style, but it also came with a pair of wings!
Did that dragon spirit have preferences? Was it... into girls!?