"Glory Inheritance" Five Years Later
At the finals venue in late autumn, the familiar orange cheering signs lit up once again. This time, Lin Yu and Su Ran weren't standing in the players' booth in their uniforms, but rather in the coaches' booth. Lin Yu, dressed in a dark suit, held a tactical board covered in densely drawn teamfight routes; Su Ran, in a matching shirt, clutched a notebook recording each player's mental state. This was their fifth year since retiring from competition, and their third season as core members of the AY team's coaching staff.
In the audience, the players sat in the stands, along with the rookie team they had personally nurtured: 22-year-old jungler Azhe, handpicked by Lin Yu as his successor, boasted a steady jungle style and mastered tempo control; 21-year-old mid laner Xiaoxing, a student of Su Ran, possessed a knack for controlling the freezing control of Wang Zhaojun, reminiscent of Su Ran's past. At that moment, they clutched their keyboards, their eyes fixed on the big screen—their opponent in the finals was the new generation of the former LK team, a formidable force excelling at mid-game teamfights.
"In the last game, the opponent will most likely use the 'Mirror + Mai Shiranui' combination, focusing on early-game invasions." Lin Yu stood up, placed the tactical board in front of the team members, and ran his fingertips over the red mark on it. "Azhe, you play Lan. Don't counter-jungle in the early game. First, defend your own red and blue zones. Have the support follow you to provide vision. Xiaoxing, you play Wu Zetian. Focus on the opponent's Mai Shiranui's position. As soon as she disappears, report the location immediately, just like we practiced back then."
His voice was steady and powerful, just like what the old coach had said to them five years ago before the finals. The players nodded seriously, and Azhe quietly clenched his fists - this was his first time playing in the finals, but because of Lin Yu's words, he felt inexplicably at ease.
Su Ran walked over to Xiao Xing and patted him gently on the shoulder. "Don't be nervous. You're in better shape than anyone else during training. In the upcoming competition, no matter what happens, you must trust your teammates and yourself. When I first played in the finals, I was even more nervous than you. It was Lin Yu who told me, 'As long as we work together well, there's no opponent we can't beat.'"
Xiaoxing looked up, seeing the tenderness and trust in Su Ran's eyes. He suddenly remembered how Su Ran would review his practice sessions late into the night, helping him analyze how to adjust his skill timing to his teammates' rhythms. He also remembered how when he was frustrated by a mistake, Su Ran would hand him a cup of hot milk and say, "Everyone makes mistakes; the important thing is to learn from them." These details were reminiscent of Lin Yu's care for Su Ran when he first joined the team five years ago.
The match began, and both teams entered a tense ban-pick phase. Just as Lin Yu had predicted, the opponent chose the "Jing + Mai Shiranui" combination. Team AY, following their strategy, locked onto the "Lan + Wu Zetian" combination, pairing them with winger Lü Bu, marksman Gongsun Li, and support Da Qiao.
Early in the game, the opposing jungler Jing launched an invasion, attempting to steal AY's red buff. Following Lin Yu's instructions, Azhe had his support provide vision in the red zone bushes. As Jing approached, he suddenly unleashed his first skill, "Breaking Waves," and, in conjunction with his support's control, successfully forced the enemy back. Xiaoxing, meanwhile, maintained a steady presence in the mid lane. Wu Zetian's wave clearing speed was exceptional, firmly securing the mid lane tower and denying the opposing Mai Shiranui a chance to support the jungle.
"Well done!" Lin Yu murmured in admiration from the coaching booth, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table—the scene mirrored his old coach's reaction during his time in the finals five years ago. Su Ran, sitting nearby, watched the players' coordination, a smile curling his lips. He pulled out his notebook and quickly wrote down, "2 minutes and 15 seconds, successfully defended the red zone invasion, and the players communicated promptly."
Midway through the match, the score was deadlocked, the gold gap remaining under 500. The opposing team, seizing a slack from AY's side lane push, launched a sudden teamfight. Jing's ultimate, "Heavenly Craftsmanship," trapped Gongsun Li, while Mai Shiranui followed closely behind, attempting to instantly kill AY's marksman. In this crucial moment, Xiaoxing's Wu Zetian suddenly unleashed her ultimate, "Life and Death," accurately targeting four opponents and buying Gongsun Li time to retreat. Azhe seized the opportunity, manipulating Lan to circumvent the enemy, and using Lü Bu's ultimate, "Demon God's Advent," he successfully counterattacked Jing and Mai Shiranui.
"Beautiful!" Lin Yu and Su Ran stood up simultaneously in the coaching booth, their eyes filled with excitement. The audience also erupted in excitement, orange cheering signs flashing in the stands, and shouts of "Come on, AY!" echoed.
The final teamfight of the deciding game took place in the Storm Dragon King pit. Both teams fought tooth and nail. AY's Gongsun Li was instantly killed by the enemy's focus fire, while Azhe's Lan was entangled by Jing, leaving her health at one-third. Just when everyone thought AY was doomed, Xiaoxing's Wu Zetian suddenly flanked from behind. Instead of rushing to unleash her ultimate, she waited until the enemy support had finished using their control skills before unleashing "Life and Death"—a "delayed control" technique Su Ran had taught him, which minimized the opponent's damage output.
Wu Zetian's ultimate skill accurately hit three opponents. Azhe seized the opportunity and cooperated with the rest of his teammates to successfully kill the opponent's core damage dealer. AY team took down the Storm Dragon King and rushed to the enemy high ground with the Dragon King buff. When Lan's blade shattered the enemy crystal, the whole audience was in an uproar!
The team members jumped up from their seats, hugged and cheered each other. Azhe and Xiaoxing hugged each other tightly, their eyes full of tears - this scene was very similar to when Lin Yu and Su Ran won the championship for the first time five years ago.
Lin Yu and Su Ran stood in the audience, watching the excited figures of the team members, and couldn't help but tear up. Su Ran gently touched Lin Yu's arm and said softly, "Look, they did it."
Lin Yu nodded, his voice choked with a barely perceptible sob: "Our tactics, our coordination, and our beliefs have all been passed on."
After the game, Azhe, the rookie captain, held the championship trophy and quickly walked over to Lin Yu and Su Ran, handing them the trophy. "Coach, this isn't just our championship; we won it together! Without your constant guidance, we wouldn't be standing here."
Lin Yu and Su Ran took the trophy, feeling a familiar weight on their fingertips. They smiled at each other, as if seeing themselves five years ago—back then, they were just like that, holding the trophy, thanking their coach for his guidance and each other for his companionship.
After the award ceremony, the two walked backstage, away from the bustling crowd. Su Ran leaned against the wall, looking at the trophy in Lin Yu's hand, and said softly, "Remember five years ago, when we first won the championship? Back then, you said you wanted the glory of Team AY to continue. Now, we've done it."
Lin Yu held Su Ran's hand, his fingertips gently caressing the ring on his ring finger—the ring they had worn for five years, never taking it off. "It's more than just glory," Lin Yu said, looking into Su Ran's eyes, his tone gentle yet firm. "It's also the faith we shared in fighting side by side, the courage we shared in facing difficulties, and the growth we shared from youth to maturity. I've passed all of this on to them."
That night, the two returned home and opened the long-forgotten box—it contained their championship rings and the commemorative badges their teammates had given them upon their retirement. Lin Yu took out his current coaching badge and placed it next to the championship ring. Moonlight streamed through the window, casting the same glow on both.
"In the future, there will be more champions and more newcomers," Su Ran leaned in Lin Yu's arms and said softly, "We will always be here to watch the glory of AY team continue."
Lin Yu nodded and hugged Su Ran tightly. "It's not just the glory of Team AY, it's also our story. Our story began on the field, but it won't end with retirement. Because the words 'fighting side by side' have long been engraved in our lives and become an eternal glory."
The moonlight outside the window is gentle, and the room is quiet and warm. Their story began in the canyon, flourished on the court, and continues in the coaching booth. It will continue in countless moments of "newcomer growth" in the future. And behind this "legacy of glory," what remains unchanged is the deep affection of their mutual companionship and trust.
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