Chapter 51: Natural


    Several more fights passed, but Chance didnt watch any of them any more than sending cursory nces to the fighters whenever someone used a particrly shy ability or technique. It wasnt that he was uninterested  his thoughts were just bound up elsewhere.


    Be was the next among them to be called, much to Yeos disappointment. Her fight was one of the fastest thus far. As soon as it had started, the boy fighting Be charged her. She clocked him in the chin with an ice-infused punch, and that was that.


    Yeo howled withughter during her entire trip back up the golden path, and while Chance couldnt help but feel bad for the boy shed crushed, he was still thrilled shed won.


    The next few fights were equally uninteresting, as was Yeos first performance. Hed gone out, practically shaking in excitement, and summarily crushed his opponent just as easily as Be had.


    He looked almost disappointed as he headed back up to join them. Nearly half an hour passed before Chances number was called again. Yeo and Be wished him luck as he hopped out of the window and onto the golden path, heading down to the arena again.


    This time, his opponent was a girl with long ck hair. She held a bow and had a dagger sheathed at her side. They exchanged a nod as the announcer started to advertise yet another shop. Chance tuned her out, just waiting for the instruction to start. His urumi leapt to his hand, its hiltforting despite the jagged leather wrapping.


    begin! Analise called.


    Chances mind was almost nk as he slipped forward, his urumishing out as he leaned back, letting an arrow made of shimmering green energy sail past his nose harmlessly. He came back up, tripping and stumbling his way toward the girl and forcing her back with every flick of his urumi.


    Her face, which had originally been confident, quickly turned worried. As the fight continued, Chance felt the rhythm of his moves start to take over more of his attention. He didnt fall into a trance, but it felt as if his body was almost acting of its own ord.


    But  something was missing. His moves felt empty. Chance was certain he was making the exact motions that Lucy had, but they still didnt feel right. On her, they were smooth. Now, they felt like the ir was missing.


    He tweaked a motion, springing upright to avoid a shot instead of stumbling out of the way. If his opponent reacted, he didnt notice. She was a distant thought now, simply a method to training.


    The new move didnt feel quite right either, but it was better than the alternative. He changed another step, moving more naturally and spinning in a wide circle, twirling his urumi around him like he was trying to turn into a tornado.


    That one felt better, but it still wasnt there. Something was missing. Irritation built in Chance as he pressed harder, modifying his movements and searching to see what was missing. Then, abruptly, reality snapped back.


    Chance mmed the hilt of his urumi down on the girls hand, knocking the dagger that he hadnt even realized shed drawn from her grip. She staggered, tripping over her own feet and falling to the ground his de continued, thunking into the ground just beside her neck.


    I surrender! she eximed, her eyes wide as she scrambled away from him. Chance retracted his urumi, baffled.


    <em>When did the fight end?</em>


    Analise was talking something again, but Chance barely heard her words. A cultivator hopped down to the tform, handing both of them healing pills. Chance epted his with an appreciative nod and popped it into his mouth, even though hed barely been hurt. He waited until the golden bridge had reformed before heading back up to his room with Be and Yeo.


    What was that, Chance? Yeo asked, grabbing him by the shoulders once hed stepped through the window. You were just ying with her!


    I didnt mean to. I just zoned out a little. While I was fighting, I felt like there was something wrong with my technique, so I was trying to figure out what it was. Honestly, I thought I was getting kind of close, but then the fight ended.


    You were trying to improve your fighting style while you fought? Yeo whistled. Thats bold. Even I dont have anything that cool nned. Damn, now I feel like I need to modify my strategy. If people find out thats what youre doing, youre going to look way cooler than me.


    Hes still stumbling around like he got drunk before the fight, Be reminded Yeo. I dont think Chance is going to get too many drooling admirers for that particr moveset.


    Be is right, Chance said. I look like a doofus. It works, though.


    That it does, Be agreed.


    Chance sat down, still running through the fight in his head to determine what he wascking. Be and Yeo must have picked up on his mood, because neither of them bothered him. They both fought again, each making it through to the next round of thepetition. Chance paused his thoughts long enough to watch their fights. Both of them won, though it looked to take them considerably more effort the second time than the first.


    Before long, Chances name was called again. He would have missed it had Yeo not prodded him in the back and nodded toward the open window. Be gave him a worried nce as he started down, to which Chance returned what he hoped was a reassuring grin.


    The desire to figure out what was holding him back was almostpulsive now, but the start of the fight was enough to bring him back down to earth. His opponent was a thin, bald boy. He didnt carry any weapons, but the wrappings around his fists implied he knew hand-to-handbat.


    Ive watched your fights, the boy said, raising a hand in greeting. Im Jericho. Your style is really interesting, but things end here for you.


    Hi. Im Chance.


    Thats it?


    Yup. Im a little busy right now.


    Jericho gave Chance a baffled look. He shook his head, muttering under his breath as he lowered into a fighting stance and extended an open palm toward Chance.


    Ny-three versus twenty-seven! Lets get this moving. Begin! Analise crowed.


    Jericho exploded into motion, thrusting his palm toward Chances chest. Chance shifted his weight, snapping his wrist up and sending his urumi flying toward the other boy. To his surprise, instead of trying to dodge, Jericho knocked the de away with his free hand.


    He drove his palm into Chances chest, knocking the air from his lungs. Chance rolled with the blow and rose back to his feet, dipping out of the way of another blow and striking Jericho in the shoulder with the hilt of his urumi.


    Jericho winced at the blow and tried to hit Chances ear with an open hand. His blow sailed wide as Chance fell back,nding on his hands and snapping a leg up into Jerichos chin as he vaulted back to his feet.


    They both threw themselves into the battle. As they fought, once more, Chance found himself forgetting about Jericho and focusing entirely on his own motions and that niggling feeling that something was missing.


    With every sh, every blow dodged and attack thrown, he made more changes to his style. It was still the same, but it was growing closer to what he felt like it could be. His staggering movements remained, but they were interspersed with sudden jumps and abrupt freezes that made him even harder to predict.


    Sweat trickled down Jerichos face as Chances assault intensified on him. He desperately tried to match Chances chaotic attacks, but the urumi spinning around them in addition to his haphazard movement was too much.


    A fist slipped through the boys defenses, cracking his nose and sending blood sttering across his face. He staggered back, catching himself quickly  but not quickly enough. Chances foot came up and Jericho shifted his hands to block the blow, only to find that Chance had abandoned the move and was already throwing an elbow at his head.


    The strike connected, and the urumi scored across his chest an instantter as Chance danced back before he could retaliate. By now, Jericho was covered in dozens of weeping cuts, and all hed managed tond on chance were a few bruising blows.


    Jericho lunged for Chance in a final, desperate attempt to sway the battle in his favor. He ducked under a iling arm, but the hilt of Chances urumi caught him in the temple. He went limp midflight, crumpling to the ground behind Chance like a ragdoll.


    Ny-three wins! Analises voice boomed through the air. A cultivator jumped down,nding on the tform and pushing a pill into Jerichos mouth. The boys wounds quickly sealed up and faded, and the cultivator offered another one of the pills to Chance.


    He stared at the mans hand for a moment before he brought himself back into the real world, taking the pill and tossing it into his mouth. Jericho hadnt done much damage, but there was no point inconveniencing himself before the next fight.


    Thank you.


    No problem, the man replied, slinging Jericho over his back. Golden pathways descended leading back to their rooms, and Chance walked up his, his mind still churning with thoughts.


    <em>Im so close. I can feel it. What am I missing?</em>


    Im convinced of it now, Yeo said once Chance had returned to his seat. You were holding back on us. Ive never seen you fight like that.


    Its natural, Chance said, digging for the right words. But its still wrong. I cant tell what it is, but Imcking something key.


    Maybe its just experience? Be offered. Youre doing incredible. Ive never seen someone with your level of experience fight the way you do. You havent even used any of your actual Karma powers. Youre just blowing through people with the urumi and your fighting style.


    Chance blinked. Somehow, hedpletely forgotten to interweave his Essence abilities with his physical ones.


    <em>Is that it? Maybe its empty because I haventbined it with my Essence. Ill try tossing some abilities in there next time and see how that feels.</em>


    I still cant believe youre using a tournament to train, Yeo muttered, running a hand through his hair. I mean, weve all been practicing really hard, but even Be and I are struggling a bit to stay in the running. Sure, I havent showed off my new secret ability, but youve got stuff in the bag too.


    Im sorry, Chance said sheepishly. It just feels right.


    Yeo grunted. Sure it does. Earthling my ass. You were made for this.


    They all fell silent as the next fight started. They all fought several more times, but Chances advancements had started to slow. He still felt like he was improving, but not at the rate he had been at the start of the tournament. A few fights after hed gone, as Chance sat contemting what he was doing wrong, Be was called down once more. Her opponent was a woman that used fire Essence, which looked like a perfect counter for the girls abilities.


    Despite Bes disadvantage, she held her own well. Her icy armor protected her body from the heat, and she was able to trade blow for blow with her opponent. However, as the fight went on, it became clear that she was starting to lose.


    Both Chance and Yeo sat at the edges of their seats. Be narrowly avoided a gout of me that scored over her head and, seeing a brief window of opportunity, lunged at the other girl.


    Her opponent grinned, revealing a de that had been hidden in her other hand. She thrust it at Bes chest  and it shattered. Bes fist caught the other girl hard in the chin, and her eyes blinked out like snuffed candles as she copsed.


    Thats the skill she used against me! Chance eximed.


    Her strongest ability right now, Yeo said. I dont get how it works. She wont tell me, but Ive never been able to break through it when shes really been trying to keep it up. Its not aura, though. I asked Pete.


    Be let out a heavy breath and straightened up, epting her healing pill and heading up the golden bridge to rejoin them.


    Great job, Be, Chance said. That was a really close fight. You earned that win.


    You were watching? Be asked, raising her eyebrows. I thought youd still be zoned out. Thanks, though.


    I took a break from zoning out, Chance replied with a grin. How are you feeling?


    Like that was probably thest fight Im going to win in this tournament without doing something I dont want to, Be replied, flopping into her chair. Im happy with it, though. And, who knows. Maybe Ill pull off something interesting in the next round. Weve got to be getting close to the finals now.


    Dont they tell us? Chance asked.


    Nah, not for smaller tournaments like this. They arent really important enough. It just kind of goes until theres a victor, Be replied. But there couldnt have been all that many Squire Shikari in the area, even with Gleam being asrge as it is. Were probably in thest few rounds.


    Ny-two versus Three! Analise called.


    My turn! Yeo leapt to his feet and vaulted out of the window onto the golden bridge forming beneath it.


    Be frowned slightly. Wait. Three?


    What about three? Chance asked.


    Yeos opponent slid down to the ground, his heavy armor nking. The noise was amplified through the floating screens, making it echo through the colosseum. Jake looked up at them from the arena, raising an armored fist to point at Yeo as he descended.


    Oh, Chance said.