The song performed by Pattern 14 was none other than their band's signature track, Rainbow. It even sparked a small chorus from the audience.
Clever. Challenging with a popular old song gave them a natural advantage over newer tracks.
Tensions between the "Japan band" and the "Chinese band" flared once more, eventually blending into a collective chant: Encore! Pain Flower was going to be called back for another song.
"The support just now... Pattern 14's side was actually louder," Chu Zhi thought to himself. As long as the cheering wasn't completely one-sided, the audience usually leaned toward an encore. After all, who wouldn't want to hear one more song?
That was the nature of this rule-less challenge stage. With no mandatory voting system, the space for maneuvering was huge. Of course, the chaos had its perks too.
Pain Flower came back out to sing another of their classics, Fairy Tale of Pain. They clearly gave it their all, burning with the fire of revenge. When the performance ended, the crowd was asked to vote once again.
The cheers for both the Japan band and the Chinese band lasted for a few seconds. Chu Zhi thought another encore was coming, but then the Chinese band's volume began to fade.
A few seconds later, as the faces of Pain Flower's five members slowly stiffened under the spotlight, only the Island Nation's voices remained.
It was over. The winning streak stopped there. No three-win sweep.
Chu Zhi's own unlucky streak continued. He sat through four more rounds without getting picked. All the bands that went up were cannon fodder.
Then—beep beep beep!
The fifth round. Chu Zhi heard a sharp beeping sound. He checked his token, but no red light.
"It's tough. Took me two tries to get selected." It was Zheng Huo beside him who spoke. The sound had come from his token.
But didn't Brother Zheng say he wasn't planning to perform?
Why was he going up? And what did he mean by "two tries"? Chu Zhi had been waiting for nearly ten rounds and hadn't been called even once.
"The festival invited us old-timers to cut the streaks," Zheng Huo explained as he stood. "Our job is to end those win chains. I'll go up first."
So that was the reason. No wonder no one had ever cleared a nine-win streak here. Once a younger band hit four or five wins, veteran rockers from other countries—mostly from the Island Nation—would be brought in to stop the momentum.
The Fuji Rock Festival's rules were hellish, and Chu Zhi loved it.
He had always wanted to go head-to-head with Asia's top rockers. He hadn't expected to get the chance, but now... opportunity was everywhere.
Zheng Huo, a pioneer of Chinese rock, took down Pattern 14 with two songs. Chu Zhi hadn't challenged him because he didn't want to fight a fellow countryman.
Zheng Huo held a two-win streak. His third challenger was another Chinese band, Victory Report. Whether he held back or was simply exhausted after four songs, Zheng Huo's streak came to an end.
"You're like an old warhorse, still sharp as ever," Chu Zhi applauded.
"My strength's fading," Zheng Huo said, wiping the sweat from his brow. "In two more years, I probably shouldn't come back."
But fading strength or not, Zheng Huo had still been a massive roadblock for Pattern Fourteen.
"Chinese's rock scene is full of restrictions and red tape. So why is this generation still so strong?" Polygon let out a long sigh.
"It's always like this," Square said with rising excitement. "Same thing in sprinting. Chinese's track and field history is short, yet they produced the Asian record holder in the 100 meters. This country's strength doesn't always make sense."
"Let's go. No point wallowing in defeat. Let's check out Stage Seven," Triangle urged.
Anyone who lost could still go back on stage since there were no rules against it, but most chose to save face and move to another stage instead. Take Liao Yiwu for example—once Pain Flower had avenged him, he dipped.
"Chu-san still hasn't performed," Polygon pointed out.
Triangle nodded. Watching Ragdoll's show before going up wasn't a bad idea. But one thing still puzzled him. "Why hasn't Ragdoll-san taken the stage yet?"
"He's steady," Polygon replied without hesitation. "Chu-san is more steady than the average person."
Everyone nodded in agreement. The explanation made perfect sense.
After three more rounds, the reigning team was replaced by Winter Snow Burst—a band known for their mix of pop-rock and raw emotional energy. They had racked up 15 number-one singles on the Oricon charts.
"Winter Snow Burst has amazing stage presence. That soaring vocal range... and the lead singer is a technical beast," Polygon commented, glancing around. "They'll probably take five or six wins."
Even Zheng Huo had come to watch them. There were no other veteran rockers on Stage Three.
Just as Polygon finished speaking, Chu Zhi raised his hand. His token had finally lit up red.
He had waited so long. Dreamed of this moment so many times. Today, it was real. With a joyful heart, Chu Zhi stepped onto the stage.
The crowd erupted the moment they saw who was coming.
"Is that Chu Zhi?!"
"Chu Zhi's actually performing at Fuji Rock?"
"I love brother Jiu! Seeing both of them here is insane! Best ticket ever!"
"Wait, Ragdoll's a rock singer too?"
"I didn't even know Chu Zhi did rock, but no matter how the song turns out, I'll support him!"
Voices rose in a dozen different languages. Without question, Chu Zhi had the most recognition in the entire venue. Over sixty percent of the audience knew who he was.
"The real show begins now. Chu-san versus Winter Snow Burst," Jigsaw's eyes gleamed.
"You're a fan of Chu Zhi, aren't you?" Square asked. "So what do you think? Who wins—Chu-san or Winter Snow Burst?"
"I haven't listened to much of Ragdoll's music," Triangle admitted. "But I'd say it's a fifty-fifty match. Winter Snow Burst's emotional intensity can shred throats, but Ragdoll's technique is second to none.
Sure, rock needs more than just technique. I get that. But someone like Ragdoll—he can make up for a lot with sheer skill," Triangle said with firm logic.
Pentagon rubbed his bald head and said nothing.
His analysis was so convincing, Pentagon nearly believed it. But in his heart, he still thought Winter Snow Burst would win. After all, they were the biggest rivals his own band had in terms of sales.
Performers waiting to go up and those who had wandered in from other stages all turned their eyes to the scene.
Even if most foreign bands hadn't heard much of Chu Zhi's rock work, none dared underestimate him. His vocal strength was undeniable.
Even the four members of Winter Snow Burst stepped aside, giving him the spotlight. They spoke in hushed tones like a unit under siege.
"If he mixes opera with rock and goes full-on art rock, we're in trouble."
"His vocals in Opera 2—I dream about having that tone. We're screwed."
"I don't get it. Chu Zhi isn't even a rock singer. Why invite him here? Does he even understand what rock is?"
"Art rock is still rock. Stage Three is [Pop (Art)]."
Winter Snow Burst huddled together, tense and wary.
"I'm Chu Zhi. I'll be performing In Springtime," he said as he adjusted the guitar hanging at his side.
Why did he choose In Springtime? There were two reasons.
First, he drew this song from the album Faith Sways in the Wind, which he had the right to perform.
Second, Winter Snow Burst's win had come from The Man in Winter, a gut-wrenching, hardcore emotional piece.
Chu Zhi wanted to see the 99 percent Voice of Despair could land.
---
"虹" (Niji / Rainbow)
Original Artist: L'ArcenCiel
Note: Signature hit by the Japanese band L'ArcenCiel, often performed in emotional live sets.