The Real Winner's Stage

After Kitasan Black's race, there were still five more events, but Anjing Zhen didn't stay to watch.

The live commentary and the other spectators could tell that this race was noticeably faster than similar events. He could tell even more clearly.

The moment the race ended, he'd done the calculations. Compared to her Debut Race, Kitasan Black had finished this one at a speed 0.4 meters per second faster—a significant increase in a high-speed race among horse girls.

Not only that, this race had been 200 meters longer than her Debut Race, so it had naturally taken more out of her.

Though he knew his horse girl had an exceptional constitution, he was concerned. As soon as the race ended, he headed straight from the stands to the medical area.

Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka came with him.

The two of them had come to cheer Kitasan Black on, and with their wealth of experience, they could tell that the race must have taken a heavy toll on their junior.

However, when they arrived at the medical area, the three of them were surprised to find Kitasan Black wasn't there.

As they were wondering what had happened, a horse girl happened to walk out of the examination room.

"Senior Yamato? Vodka Senior?"

She froze for a moment, then quickly bowed.

"Good afternoon, Seniors, and hello to you too, sir. I'm Sato no Takarazuka. It's nice to meet you. I hope we'll get along."

After greeting them, Sato no Takarazuka asked, puzzled, "What brings the three of you to the Infirmary?"

"So you're Takarazuka. You did great in that race just now. Your Final Burst was sharp."

Vodka smiled and said, "Honestly, it's a bit of a shame. If you'd picked up the pace a little sooner, you probably could've passed Little Kita."

"Little Kita... Kitasan Black?"

Sato no Takarazuka looked surprised. She bit her lip and clenched her hands without thinking, then quickly relaxed them.

"Are the three of you... here to see Kitasan Black?"

As she asked, she couldn't help glancing at Anjing Zhen.

"Yes. I'm her Trainer, Anjing Zhen. It's nice to meet you."

Noticing Sato no Takarazuka's gaze, Anjing Zhen nodded. "Has Little Kita finished her examination?"

A flicker of astonishment crossed Sato no Takarazuka's eyes.

So he was Kitasan Black's Trainer... and he really was as young as Crown and Hikari-chan had said?

"...Yes. The doctor said she's in excellent health. There's nothing wrong with her."

Still looking astonished, Sato no Takarazuka clenched her hands again, then quickly relaxed them. She raised an arm and pointed toward the Rest Hall.

"After she came out, she took a phone call, then went in that direction.

"I still have a few things to take care of, so I'm afraid I can't show you the way.

"Excuse me."

After a graceful bow, the horse girl left briskly.

Watching her go, Anjing Zhen thought for a moment, then sighed softly.

At the same time, two sighs sounded beside him.

He exchanged glances with Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka, who had sighed too, and immediately realized they were probably thinking the same thing he was. He sighed again, then said casually,

"Come on. Let's check over there."

The two horse girls nodded silently, and the three of them headed for the Rest Hall together.

They'd assumed they'd have to look around once they got there, but before they were even close to the entrance, the three of them heard a familiar, high-pitched voice.

"Ah—it's a festival—ah—a festival—ah—a festival in the year of the harvest—hey ya, hey ya, hey ya—"

The lyrics were plain and simple, the voice clear and youthful, and the melody stirring and powerful.

Usually, those three things combined would sound a little strange, but the song they heard now was full of rousing energy.

It was Kitasan Black's voice, of course, and the song she was singing was one of Japan's most famous: "Matsuri."

Anjing Zhen knew it well. For more than a decade, whenever he'd watched the Kohaku Uta Gassen with his parents at New Year's, this song had always been among the grand finale numbers.

In a way, the Kohaku Uta Gassen was a bit like Japan's Spring Festival Gala, and this song was undoubtedly its equivalent of "Unforgettable Tonight."

After Kitasan Black sang one line, the next came not from her, but from an elderly man.

He looked to be in his seventies, yet the power in his voice didn't sound like that of an old man at all.

If Kitasan Black's voice rang out like a clear songbird's, the old man's was as stirring as an eagle's cry.

And it wasn't just the strength behind his singing. Even without knowing much about music, Anjing Zhen could tell that the man's technique outclassed Kitasan Black's in every way. She simply couldn't compare.

He wasn't surprised, because the old man was none other than the original singer of "Matsuri," a giant of the music world who had appeared on the Kohaku Uta Gassen for fifty years straight: Saburo Kitajima.

When Anjing Zhen recognized Saburo Kitajima, the two horse girls beside him recognized him too.

"...Little Kita's grandpa?"

Daiwa Scarlet stared in surprise. "Why would he come here... Oh, right. Little Kita mentioned at lunch that her grandpa was coming to watch her race today."

"That's amazing!"

Vodka said excitedly, "I've only ever heard this old man sing on TV. I can't believe we get to hear him live today. We're so lucky!"

Anjing Zhen nodded silently.

When he'd looked up Kitasan Black's profile, he'd also read about Saburo Kitajima.

It had to be said: even without knowing much about music, he couldn't help respecting the old man.

It was thanks to him and many other musicians of his generation that Enka had flourished and spread around the world. "Matsuri" was one of its representative songs.

The old man's life story also moved Anjing Zhen deeply.

According to interviews, he'd been born into a poor fishing village in Hokkaido, where his family had made their living from fishing.

He'd loved singing from a young age. To pursue his dream, he went to Tokyo alone after graduating from high school.

He never gave up, and gradually made his way to where he was today.

Even if the interviews didn't mention the details, it was easy to imagine how hard the journey must have been.

In one interview, when asked about the secret to success, talent, and the like, the old man had said:

"I've never thought I had any special talent or ability, let alone that I was a genius.

"There are so many people more talented and gifted than me. I've met plenty of them over the decades.

"Compared to those true geniuses, all I did was sing day after day. Sing nonstop. Sing with all my might.

"Sometimes, I was furious. Furious that people with more talent, more ability, more energy, and more time could be so lazy.

"Why couldn't they give me all those things they were wasting? There was still so much I wanted to create through my singing.

"Then I realized that talent, ability, genius—ultimately, you have to dig all of it out of yourself, little by little. Otherwise, even if you have it, it'll stay buried.

"So I started singing again.

"Then, quite by chance, I looked back.

"Friends and rivals I'd known... I didn't know when, but they'd all disappeared.

"All that was left was an old man like me, standing atop this so-called summit of Japanese music.

"And a bunch of lazy, bored people sat at the foot of the mountain, pointing at me and saying:

"'What can you expect? That man's a genius.'"

(Kitasan Black putting her whole heart into singing. The animation for her ultimate move in the game is probably a reference to her real-life owner.)