A comeback in the playoff semifinals
In the semifinals, orange cheering signs practically covered the entire auditorium, and chants of "AY will win!" rose in volume. However, this vibrant atmosphere was instantly overshadowed after the first game. WT employed a "Da Qiao + Gongsun Li" tactical system, a potent counter to AY. Leveraging Da Qiao's quick return to base health with her second skill, her ultimate's collective teleport, and Gongsun Li's flexible pull, they repeatedly disrupted AY's teamfight rhythm. Ultimately, with a textbook-level push, they secured the first victory, setting the score at 1-0.
The atmosphere in the backstage lounge was somewhat tense. The coach held the tactical board, his fingertips repeatedly running over Da Qiao's portrait. "WT's elevator system is too flexible. Our previous teamfight strategy has been completely suppressed. In the second game, we must change our tactics." He looked up at Lin Yu and Su Ran, his eyes firm. "Lin Yu, you take Han Xin, focusing on pushing the lane and holding the enemy. Their Da Qiao system requires splitting up troops to defend the tower, so you'll use this to break up their formation. Su Ran, you take Wu Zetian, and ignore the mid lane minion line. Focus on Da Qiao's second skill. If she dares to use it, interrupt it with your ultimate, 'Life and Death,' to prevent them from returning to the city easily."
Lin Yu and Su Ran nodded simultaneously. Han Xin's ability to push lanes was top-tier in the league, and Wu Zetian's full-screen ultimate was a powerful counter to teleport systems. They had practiced this combination no less than ten times in training matches, specifically to cope with this flexible, pull-and-pull lineup.
At the start of the second game, Team WT used the same old tricks, locking down Da Qiao and Gongsun Li on the first floor. Team AY followed their pre-set strategy, with Lin Yu picking Han Xin and Su Ran picking Wu Zetian, adding Lü Bu and Marco Polo to the wing lanes, and using Taiyi Zhenren as a support to enhance their early-game capabilities.
"The game begins!" As the referee's voice fell, Han Xin went straight to the red zone, and Wu Zetian quickly cleared the line in the middle lane - according to tactics, Wu Zetian had to go to Han Xin's red zone to provide vision after clearing the first wave of soldiers to prevent WT's jungler from counter-jungling.
Sure enough, WT's jungler, Pei Qinhu, attempted to circling back to counter the red buff, but was severely damaged by Wu Zetian, who had arrived earlier, using her first skill, "Empress's Majesty," forcing him to retreat in dismay. Han Xin successfully secured the red buff and, after reaching level 2, instead of heading to the blue zone, he headed directly towards WT's bottom lane tower—his intention was to implement a tactic of pushing and holding the enemy team, disrupting WT's rhythm from the outset.
Han Xin's swift push quickly reduced WT's bottom lane tower to half health. WT was forced to split up and defend, and their Da Qiao counter-jungle strategy was instantly dismantled. Su Ran, on the other hand, was steadily advancing in the middle lane, his eyes fixed on the minimap. Whenever Da Qiao's portrait appeared in a particular lane, he would preemptively charge his ultimate.
At 12 minutes, WT's Da Qiao unleashed her second ability in mid lane, preparing to send the low-health Gongsun Li back to the city for replenishment. Su Ran's Wu Zetian reacted immediately, unleashing her ultimate, "Life and Death." A golden beam descended from the sky, interrupting Da Qiao's teleport and stunning all nearby WT players. Lin Yu's Han Xin seized the opportunity to circumvent Da Qiao's teleport and, using her first ability, "Ruthless Charge," sent Gongsun Li flying, and with the help of Taiyi Zhenren's stun, instantly killed her.
"Beautiful!" cheered AY Team's voice chat. This wave of kills completely disrupted WT's rhythm. AY Team seized the opportunity to take the Overlord and, with the Overlord Vanguard, pushed forward, widening the gold gap to two thousand. For the rest of the game, Han Xin continued to push the lane, while Wu Zetian frequently interrupted WT's teleports with her ultimate, completely disrupting WT's Da Qiao system. Ultimately, AY Team fought a brilliant teamfight, pushing down WT's crystal and bringing the score to 1:1.
In the third game, the WT team finally adjusted its lineup, abandoned the Da Qiao system, selected jungler Jing and mid laner Mai Shiranui, and focused on early burst - Jing's flexible displacement combined with Mai Shiranui's ability to kill people in one second is the weapon to restrain Han Xin's line-leading.
In the early game, Jing displayed a remarkably aggressive presence. After clearing the blue zone, he swerved to attack Han Xin's red zone. Shiranui Mai abandoned the mid lane and rushed to the red zone to provide support. Although Han Xin reacted quickly and used Flash to escape, he lost the red buff and the small monsters, completely disrupting the early game rhythm.
Over the next few minutes, Jing repeatedly invaded the jungle, and with the support of Mai Shiranui, he successively killed AY's side laner Lu Bu and support Taiyi Zhenren, quickly widening the gold gap to 3,000. The AY team members began to get impatient, and the voice chat became chaotic, even leading to mistakes and arguments.
"Don't panic!" Lin Yu's voice suddenly rang out, his calm tone instantly calming his teammates. "Su Ran, you defend the middle lane. Don't worry about the other lanes. Just trap Shiranui Mai in the middle lane and prevent her from supporting. Lu Bu and Marco Polo, hold the side lanes steady. Don't fight them. Wait for me to find an opportunity to counter-jungle."
Su Ran responded immediately: "Got it! I will use Wu Zetian's advantage in clearing the line to force Mai Shiranui under the tower." He controlled Wu Zetian and used her first skill "Empress's Majesty" to quickly clear the line. Every time Mai Shiranui tried to support, she would be pushed away by Wu Zetian's second skill "Life and Death", and she could not leave the middle lane at all.
Lin Yu's Han Xin quietly circled around to WT's red zone. Jing was supporting the bottom lane, leaving the red zone empty. Han Xin quickly stole the red buff and small monsters, and also cleared WT's bottom river crab, not only easing the gold pressure but also gaining a crucial vision advantage. For the next few minutes, Han Xin frequently moved around WT's jungle, severely limiting Jing's development and gradually narrowing the gold gap to 1,000.
At the 20-minute mark, WT realized they couldn't afford to drag it out any longer and decided to go all out, gathering five players to take the Storm Dragon King and attempt to end the game in one go. "Now!" Lin Yu's voice was filled with determination. Han Xin didn't go to the Dragon King pit, but instead headed straight for WT's top lane high ground—he was going to make a feint to the east and attack in the west, forcing WT to retreat.
Team WT panicked, forcing Da Qiao to abandon the Dragon King and return to top lane with her teammates. Seeing their goal achieved, Lin Yu's Han Xin immediately used his second ability, "Last Stand," to retreat. Su Ran's Wu Zetian seized the opportunity to take down the Storm Dragon King. "Chase!" Wu Zetian unleashed her ultimate again, accurately targeting the returning WT players. Han Xin's ultimate, "Unparalleled Patriot," combined with Marco Polo's damage output, instantly killed WT's backline, Gongsun Li and Mai Shiranui. Team AY pressed on, pushing down WT's crystal in a single wave, taking a 2-1 lead.
In the fourth game, WT fought a desperate battle, playing with exceptional aggression. Jing and Mai Shiranui's synergy grew stronger, repeatedly swerving into AY's backline and killing Marco Polo and Taiyi Zhenren. Despite Lin Yu and Su Ran's best efforts, they were unable to reverse the situation. WT successfully won the game, bringing the score to 2-2 and forcing the deciding game.
Before the deciding game began, the coach gathered the players together. He didn't elaborate on the tactics, but simply patted everyone on the shoulder. "Relax, just practice like you normally would. You've already played well. Don't worry about winning or losing, just perform at your best. Lin Yu and Su Ran, your teamwork is our greatest advantage. Believe in yourselves, and believe in each other."
Lin Yu and Su Ran exchanged a glance, each seeing determination in the other's eyes. For the final round, they chose not the previous containment lineup but instead their most familiar "Lan + Wang Zhaojun" combination—a combination they had a 90% win rate with in training matches. Lan's agile forwards, combined with Wang Zhaojun's control, were the perfect match for dealing with Jing and Mai Shiranui.
In the early game, Lin Yu's Lan, following their pre-planned strategy, headed straight for WT's red zone to counter-jungle. Su Ran's Wang Zhaojun quickly cleared mid lane, clearing the first wave of minions before immediately heading to the red zone for support. Jing, indeed, was swarming in the red zone, only to be frozen by Wang Zhaojun's second skill, "Imprison Frost." Lan seized the opportunity to use his first skill, "Breaking Waves," to push him against a wall. Combining basic attacks with his second skill, "Severing the Sky," he secured the first blood.
AY successfully established an early advantage, quickly widening the gold gap to 1,000. However, at 10 minutes, WT's Jing suddenly changed his strategy, no longer counter-jungling, but instead sneaking around to attack AY's backline. Seizing the opportunity of Marco Polo's misalignment, he used his ultimate "Execution" to instantly kill him, then took down the Overlord, closing the gold gap to 2,000.
"Hold steady!" Su Ran's voice remained calm, without a trace of impatience. "We still have a chance. Once I finish producing the Echo Wand, the damage will be enough. We'll then actively look for a team fight." Lin Yu nodded, controlling Lan to patiently develop in the jungle. He no longer pushed the line rashly, but focused on protecting Marco Polo to prevent Jing from attacking again.
At 18 minutes, Su Ran's Wang Zhaojun finally finished Echo Wand, and her damage took a qualitative leap. "Looking for a team fight!" Lin Yu called out, and Lan moved towards the middle river, with Wang Zhaojun following behind, ready to start the decisive battle.
WT took the bait, with Jing sprinting in first, attempting to instantly kill Marco Polo. Su Ran's Wang Zhaojun immediately unleashed her ultimate, "Winter Has Arrived." Golden ice crystals instantly covered the river, freezing all four WT players. Lin Yu's Lan seized the opportunity to unleash his ultimate, pushing Jing into Wang Zhaojun's range. Combined with Lu Bu's ultimate, "Demon God's Descent," and Marco Polo's damage output, Jing was instantly killed.
Without their core jungler, WT was completely defeated. AY took advantage of the opportunity to capture the Storm Dragon King and pushed forward with the Dragon King buff. When Lan's blade pierced WT's crystal, the system prompt sounded: "AY wins!"
The moment the match ended, thunderous cheers erupted in Team AY's training room. Lin Yu removed his headphones and immediately rushed to Su Ran. The two high-fived in celebration, tears of excitement welling in their eyes. They had successfully advanced to the finals, just one step away from the championship.
In the post-match interview, the host asked with a smile, "Player Lin Yu, you were at a disadvantage in the third and fifth games. Did you ever think you would lose?"
Lin Yu took the microphone and turned his gaze to Su Ran beside him, with a gentle smile on his face: "No. As long as Su Ran is here, I know we can definitely turn the tables. He can always stabilize the rhythm at the most critical moment and create opportunities for me. With him around, I won't give up."
Su Ran also took the microphone and added, "Lin Yu's dribbling and penetration are very precise. He always finds the opponent's weaknesses and breaks the deadlock. We are the best teammates and the people we trust the most. No matter what difficulties we encounter, we will face them together."
The fans in the audience erupted in excitement upon hearing this, shouts of "Lin Su lock!" and "Champions!" echoed one after another. Lin Yu and Su Ran exchanged a smile. They knew their opponent in the finals, the defending champions ZT Team, would be even stronger than WT Team, but as long as they stood side by side and trusted each other, they would surely reach the pinnacle of glory and realize their long-cherished dream.
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