An easy first-round playoff advance
The playoffs officially began, with Team AY facing Team FT, the eighth-placed team in the regular season, in the first round. On matchday, the esports center was awash in a sea of orange cheers. Fans held up signs reading "AY Must Win" and "Lin Su Side by Side." Cheers echoed from the entrance to the seating area. When Lin Yu and Su Ran, wearing their new season's blue uniforms, stepped onto the stage side by side, the crowd's cheers reached a crescendo. They bowed deeply to the audience, their faces beaming with confidence—after a week of focused preparation, they were well prepared.
During the banpick phase, AY took the lead, with the coach immediately targeting FT's core heroes. First, jungler Lao K's signature Nakroth was banned, cutting off their late-game dragon stealing potential. Second, mid laner Xiao Xia's Mai Shiranui was banned, limiting her flank-cutting threat. FT then specifically banned Lin Yu's Pei Qinhu and Su Ran's Wu Zetian, attempting to disrupt AY's mid and jungle rhythm.
The final lineups were finalized: Team AY's "Lin Yu-Lan, Su Ran-Wang Zhaojun, Winger-Lü Bu, Marksman-Gongsun Li, Support-Taiyi Zhenren"; Team FT's "Jungler-Zhao Yun, Mid-Lane-Zhang Liang, Winger-Xiang Yu, Marksman-Yu Ji, Support-Guiguzi." The commentator observed the lineups and laughed, "This AY lineup is incredibly effective against FT! Lan's flexibility can break up Guiguzi's initiations, while Wang Zhaojun's freezing ability can limit Zhao Yun's penetration. It seems AY has been well prepared for this match."
"Match Begin!" With the referee's command, the game officially entered its in-game phase. Lin Yu controlled Lan and headed straight for his own red zone. Taiyi Zhenren followed closely beside him, charging his first skill, "Time and Space Bomb," in advance, alerting them to a counterattack. Pre-match analysis indicated a high probability of FT's Guiguzi attacking the blue zone, so they had to be prepared.
At 1 minute and 20 seconds, Lan cleared the red zone and reached level 4. Without hesitation, he headed straight for the middle lane. Meanwhile, Su Ran's Wang Zhaojun had already cleared the first wave of minions and was using her first skill, "Withered Ice Crystal," to drain Zhang Liang's health and draw his attention. Zhang Liang fell for it and attempted to counterattack with her first skill, "Word Spirit: Barrier," blocking the lane, but he didn't notice Lan had already flanked him.
"Now!" Lin Yu's voice echoed over the chatroom. Lan's first skill, "Breaking Waves," charged at Zhang Liang, pushing him against the tower wall. Su Ran's Wang Zhaojun immediately followed up with her second skill, "Imprisoning Frost," freezing Zhang Liang with pinpoint accuracy. Taiyi Zhenren's "Time and Space Bomb" detonated simultaneously, and combined with their basic attacks, they instantly reduced Zhang Liang's health to zero. "First Blood!" The moment the system notification chimed, the orange signboards in the audience lit up instantly, and shouts of "Lin Yu" and "Su Ran" surged through the arena like a wave.
After securing first blood, Team AY completely seized control of the match. Lin Yu's Lan frequently invaded Zhao Yun's jungle, always stealing small monsters before Zhao Yun could reach them, disrupting his growth rhythm. By the 10-minute mark, Lan was two thousand gold ahead of Zhao Yun and one level higher. Su Ran's Wang Zhaojun steadily advanced in the mid lane, her ultimate, "Winter Has Arrived," not only enabling rapid wave clearing but also providing timely support to the side lanes. When Lü Bu was being suppressed by Xiang Yu in the side lanes, Wang Zhaojun's ultimate would always accurately cover the battlefield, and combined with Lü Bu's "Fang Tian Hua Ji" to counterattack, she often achieved counter-kills.
At exactly 10 minutes, the first Overlord spawned. Lin Yu's Lan led his teammates straight to the Overlord pit. Taiyi Zhenren activated his ultimate, "Magic Transfiguration," preparing for a fight. Lu Bu roamed outside the pit, alert for support from Team FT. Team FT attempted to rush in to grab the dragon, but were forced back by Wang Zhaojun's ultimate. They could only watch as Team AY successfully secured the first Overlord. By this point, Team AY was two thousand gold ahead of Team FT, and the situation on the field was completely one-sided.
Unwilling to accept defeat, Team FT launched a final counterattack in midlane. Guiguzi, lurking in the brush by the river, suddenly flashed his second ability, "All Things Have Spirits," accurately pulling down Gongsun Li, who was pushing the lane. Xiang Yu's "Overlord Slash" followed closely, pushing Gongsun Li back under Team FT's defensive tower. Zhao Yun then circled from the jungle and activated his ultimate, "Soaring Dragon," attempting to instantly kill Gongsun Li and recover from the slightest disadvantage.
But Su Ran's Wang Zhaojun was prepared—she had already established vision in the middle river. Upon noticing Team FT's movements, she decisively activated her ultimate, "Winter Has Arrived." Golden ice crystals instantly covered the battlefield, freezing Guiguzi, Xiang Yu, Zhang Liang, and Yu Ji. Lin Yu's Lan seized the opportunity and used her ultimate, "Execution," to push Zhao Yun into Wang Zhaojun's range. Combined with Gongsun Li's "Lonely Bird Severing the Clouds," she instantly killed Zhao Yun.
Without their jungler, Team FT fell into disarray. Team AY pressed forward, slaying Xiang Yu and Yu Ji in quick succession, leaving Zhang Liang and Guiguzi fleeing in panic. Team AY gave them no time to breathe, seizing the opportunity to destroy Team FT's mid-lane highland tower and launch a final assault on the crystal. As Lan's blade shattered Team FT's crystal, a system notification echoed throughout the arena: "Team AY wins!"
In the second game, despite adjusting their tactics, FT still couldn't break AY's rhythm. Lin Yu and Su Ran worked well together, once again crushing the opponent. AY ultimately defeated FT 2-0 and advanced to the second round of the playoffs.
After the game, Lin Yu and Su Ran celebrated with a high five, their eyes filled with relaxed smiles. The fans in the audience were in high spirits, shouting "AY will win!" deafeningly, and many fans excitedly waved their support signs, cheering for their victory. In the post-game interview, the host smiled and asked, "Today's game was very easy. Did you prepare a lot in advance?"
Lin Yu took the microphone and said modestly, "Yes, we did a lot of targeted training to address FT's dragon-stealing tactics and mid-lane grass-hiding habits. This was all thanks to the coach's guidance and the hard work of my teammates."
Su Ran added: "Everyone's coordination today was very good, whether it was supporting the side lanes or coordinating team battles, everything was done very well. This is the key to our victory."
Back at the training base, the coach had already prepared a celebratory cake for everyone, emblazoned with the words "Auspicious start to the playoffs." The teammates gathered together, sharing the joy of victory, but the coach reminded them, "We played well in the first round, but we can't let our guard down. Our next opponent is RJ. Their 'Da Qiao + Gongsun Li' system is very challenging, so we need to keep practicing."
Lin Yu and Su Ran nodded, the relief in their eyes gradually giving way to determination. They knew that victory in the first round of the playoffs was only the beginning; the real challenges lay ahead. Under the lights of the training room, the two of them once again turned on the RJ team's game tapes and began to study their tactics for the next round—their road to defending their title continued.
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