Reunion with old rivals in the finals

When the final buzzer sounded in the second round of the playoffs, and AY narrowly defeated RJ 3-2 to advance to the Finals, everyone knew they were about to face their toughest match of the season—ZT, last season's runner-up and this season's hottest team. These two teams are considered "old rivals" in the league, and their thrilling five-game Finals series is still recounted by fans. Their rematch in the Finals will undoubtedly ignite the climax of the entire season.

The atmosphere at the training base a week before the game was extremely tense. The coach compiled all the recordings of the ZT team's games this season into a collection. From the regular season to the playoffs, every key team battle and every tactical adjustment was repeatedly disassembled. "ZT has made great progress this season," the coach pointed at Aze's jungle play on the screen, frowning. "Aze's Han Xin no longer relies solely on pushing the lane. He is now more adept at finding opportunities to cut into the back row in mid-term team battles. Lao Xia's mage has also developed many new routines. He used to only play functional mages like Zhang Liang and Zhou Yu, but now he is also very good at playing Shiranui Mai and Sima Yi. You must be prepared for all situations."

Lin Yu and Su Ran huddled in front of the screen, their notebooks densely filled with writing. "Look here," Su Ran pointed to a recording of a ZT team fight. In the video, Lao Xia's Shiranui Mai swerved to instantly kill the opposing marksman, while Aze's Han Xin used his ultimate, "Unparalleled Patriot," to block the opponent's counterattack. "When they're fighting in a teamfight, Lao Xia's mage always looks for an opportunity to swerve, and Aze will deliberately conserve his skills to protect him. Next time we meet, I'll use Wu Zetian's ultimate to restrain Lao Xia, and you go and pick off their marksman, Yu Ji. Yu Ji has no mobility, so she can be instantly killed if she's out of sync."

Lin Yu nodded and quickly wrote down in his notebook: "Yu Ji relies heavily on the protection of the auxiliary Guiguzi. As long as we force Guiguzi to flash first, or use the control chain to keep him, Yu Ji will have no one to rely on. Lu Bu's ultimate move can be used to divide the battlefield and prevent Guiguzi from easily approaching our back row." The two of them talked back and forth, from lineup matching to team battle details, and improved the tactical plan bit by bit. The lights in the training room were on until late at night every day.

On the day of the finals, the esports center was completely submerged in a sea of ​​orange cheers. From the entrance to the seating area, banners reading "Lin and Su side by side, glory will appear" and "AY defends the championship" were everywhere. Fans held up light signs and waved cheering sticks, and the air was filled with tension and excitement. When Lin Yu and Su Ran, wearing blue uniforms with the team logo, stepped onto the stage side by side, the cheers from the audience instantly reached a peak, even drowning out the live music. The two bowed deeply to the audience, their eyes full of determination - this was the last battle on their road to defending the title, and no matter how strong the opponent, they must win.

During the ban-pick phase of the first game, ZT took the lead, targeting Lan in their first ban and banning Wang Zhaojun in their second, effectively cutting off AY's signature mid-jungle combo. The audience gasped in surprise, and the commentators' voices grew tense. "ZT's bans are incredibly targeted! It seems they've already figured out AY's strategy. It all depends on how AY responds."

The coach quickly gave the command in the voice chat: "Use Pei Qinhu and Wu Zetian, play a fast-paced game in the early stage, and suppress Han Xin's development!" The AY team decisively locked in the lineup: "Lin Yu - Pei Qinhu, Su Ran - Wu Zetian, side lane - Lu Bu, shooter - Gongsun Li, support - Taiyi Zhenren"; the ZT team selected "Aze - Han Xin, Lao Xia - Zhang Liang, side lane - Xiang Yu, shooter - Yu Ji, support - Guiguzi", focusing on starting a team fight in the mid-term.

"Match start!" With the referee's command, Lin Yu, without hesitation, piloted Pei Qinhu straight to ZT Team's red zone. Han Xin's red zone start was a consistent habit of Aze's, a fact they had repeatedly confirmed before the match. Taiyi Zhenren followed closely beside him, pre-charging his first skill, "Time and Space Bomb," and placing it in the bushes near the red buff spawn point, waiting for Han Xin to appear.

At 1 minute and 10 seconds, the red buff refreshed on time, and Aze's Han Xin arrived as expected, controlling Han Xin to attack the red buff. Lin Yu seized the opportunity, and Pei Qinhu switched to human form. His basic attacks, combined with Taiyi Zhenren's bomb, instantly reduced the red buff's health to a critical level. Han Xin attempted to use his second skill, "Last Stand," to move and seize the jungle, but was stunned by Taiyi Zhenren's prematurely detonated bomb.

"Now!" Lin Yu's voice echoed through the chat. Pei Qinhu switched to tiger form, using his first skill, "Tiger Roar," to pounce at Han Xin. He then used a basic attack followed by his second skill, "Tiger Leap," to instantly reduce Han Xin's health to zero. "First Blood!" The moment the system notification sounded, the orange signboards in the audience lit up instantly, and shouts of "Lin Yu" swept through the entire venue like a wave.

After securing first blood, Lin Yu's Pei Qinhu completely seized control of the jungle. He frequently invaded Han Xin's jungle, always stealing small monsters before Aze could reach him, disrupting his development. Su Ran's Wu Zetian maintained a steady presence in the mid lane, using her first ability, "Empress's Radiance," to quickly clear lanes. She also used her ultimate, "Life and Death," to stun Zhang Liang's attempts to roam, forcing him back to the tower. By the 10-minute mark, Team AY was two thousand gold ahead of ZT and had successfully secured their first Overlord.

But ZT, last season's runner-up, didn't panic because of their early disadvantage. At the 15-minute mark, they launched a counterattack in the middle lane. Guiguzi suddenly emerged from the river brush, his second ability, "All Things Have Spirits," accurately pulling Wu Zetian down. Lao Xia's Zhang Liang immediately followed up with his ultimate, "Spiritual Words: Manipulation," pinning Wu Zetian to the spot, preventing her from using any abilities. Xiang Yu's "Overlord Slash" simultaneously sent Pei Qinhu and Lü Bu flying. Yu Ji then activated "Dance Before the Battle," combining basic attacks with her first ability, "Chu Songs," to instantly kill Wu Zetian.

"Retreat!" Lin Yu decisively commanded. Pei Qinhu switched to human form and quickly used basic attacks to clear the minions in the middle lane, buying time for his teammates to retreat. However, Team ZT had already formed a siege. Han Xin circled from the jungle, attempting to block AY's retreat. At this critical moment, Su Ran's Wu Zetian, having revived, immediately used her ultimate ability, "Life and Death," to teleport to the battlefield. A golden beam descended from the sky, accurately striking ZT's Han Xin, Zhang Liang, Xiang Yu, and Yu Ji, stunning them all!

"Capture Yu Ji!" Lin Yu's voice was tinged with excitement. Pei Qinhu switched to tiger form and used his first skill, "Tiger Roar," to pounce on Yu Ji. Taiyi Zhenren's "Time and Space Bomb" accurately hit Yu Ji, stunning her. Gongsun Li's ultimate skill, "Lonely Duck Breaking the Clouds," combined with the damage output, instantly killed Yu Ji. Without their marksman, Team ZT fell into disarray. Team AY pressed on, killing Han Xin, Zhang Liang, and Xiang Yu, and in one wave, they destroyed ZT's crystal, winning the first game.

In the second game, ZT adjusted their strategy, banning Pei Qinhu and Wu Zetian and selecting a lineup of "Aze-Nakrolu, Lao Xia-Zhou Yu, Bai Qi on the winger, Marco Polo on the marksman, and Sun Bin on the support," focusing on late-game teamfights. AY, on the other hand, selected "Lin Yu-Li Bai, Su Ran-Sima Yi, Ma Chao on the winger, Gongsun Li on the marksman, and Da Qiao on the support," attempting to disrupt ZT's rhythm by pushing lanes.

In the early game, neither team engaged in major teamfights, merely testing the waters in the jungle and side lanes. Nakoruru focused on farming, while Zhou Yu used flames in the mid lane to suppress Sima Yi's wave clearing. Li Bai's repeated attempts to invade the jungle were blocked by Sun Bin's second ability, "Time Fluctuation," preventing him from finding a chance. At 15 minutes, ZT capitalized on AY's mid lane dislocation. Bai Qi's ultimate, "Reaper's Scythe," held Ma Chao and Gongsun Li in check, while Zhou Yu's ultimate, "Beacon Fires at Chibi," blanketed the battlefield. Nakoruru's ultimate, "Eagle Strike," cut in, instantly killing both and securing their first Overlord, gradually gaining control of the game.

Afterward, ZT, leveraging the Domination Vanguard and Sun Bin's acceleration, continued to push against AY's defensive tower. Despite Lin Yu and Su Ran's desperate efforts to contain the enemy, they were unable to salvage the situation. Ultimately, ZT prevailed in a teamfight within the Storm Dragon King group, destroying AY's crystal and bringing the score to 1-1.

During the intermission, Lin Yu and Su Ran sat in the lounge, drinking water and quickly reviewing their mistakes from the second game. "I shouldn't have pushed forward in that Domination fight just now," Su Ran said with some regret. "If I had retreated earlier, I could have saved the Domination."

Lin Yu patted his shoulder and said calmly: "It's not just your problem. I didn't have good vision in advance, so Bai Qi got around behind us. Let's adjust in the next game. I'll use Lan and you use Wang Zhaojun, and get back to the rhythm we are most familiar with." Su Ran nodded, and the regret in his eyes was gradually replaced by determination - they had experienced countless setbacks, and they would definitely be able to survive this time.

The cheers in the stadium were still enthusiastic, and the orange and ZT blue light signs were intertwined in the audience seats. The suspense of the finals had just begun.