The heartbeat of match point
The air in the e-sports center seemed to freeze, and the cheers from the audience were much lower than in the previous games. Most people were holding cheering sticks, their eyes fixed on the electronic screen in the center of the stage - the fourth game was the match point game, as long as AY won one more game, they would win the league championship; and SG had to win this game to drag the game into the deciding game.
Lin Yu sat in the battle seat, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the edge of his phone case. The pattern of Han Xin, "Unparalleled in the Country," on the phone case had worn somewhat blurred, just like his current state of mind—a mixture of nervousness and determination. His coach's words from the locker room echoed in his ears: "Match point is not only about technique, but also about mentality. Lin Yu, your Han Xin is our trump card, you must hold it steady."
The BP interface lit up, and SG was the first to ban heroes. Lin Yu stared at the screen, and at his coach's signal, his fingers landed on the portraits of "Zhao Yun" and "Gongsun Li"—these two heroes had been AY's core damage dealers in the first few games. Banning them would limit AY's early game rhythm and late game endurance.
AY team's ban was not polite, and they directly banned "Sun Wukong" and "Sun Bin" - Sun Wukong is the burst guarantee for SG in the late stage, and Sun Bin's blood recovery and acceleration can make Han Xin's entry more flexible. This wave of bans accurately strangled the lifeblood of SG.
"Han Xin on the first floor," Lin Yu's voice came through the microphone without hesitation. Han Xin was his signature hero. From city tournaments to professional competitions, he had won countless crucial games with this hero. He chose Han Xin at this moment, both to calm his teammates and to give himself a boost.
Almost immediately after SG locked onto Han Xin, Team AY's second floor responded—Su Ran's finger landed on the "Mai Shiranui" avatar. A pale red flame effect flashed across the screen, followed by a sound confirming the selection.
"Su Ran picked Mai Shiranui!" The commentator's voice suddenly rose. "In the previous games, Su Ran used Wu Zetian and Diao Chan to show his strength as a functional and sustained damage mid laner. This time, he chose Mai Shiranui, obviously hoping to use his flexible movement and high burst to counter Han Xin's penetration!"
Lin Yu's fingertips paused, his eyes darkening. He knew Su Ran's Mai Shiranui too well. When they used to play together, Su Ran always said, "Mai Shiranui's displacement can dodge Han Xin's flying attack." Now that this statement has become a reality, Su Ran will use the hero he is most familiar with to restrain his signature.
The lineups for both teams were quickly determined. SG's Han Xin, Marco Polo, Guan Yu, Zhou Yu, and Niu Mo were all based on flexible play—Guan Yu's flanking and pushing created damage opportunities for Han Xin, while Zhou Yu's fire zone restricted AY's movement. AY's Baili Xuance, Mai Shiranui, Xiahou Dun, Hou Yi, and Ming Shiyin were all in the lineup. Early on, they relied on the Baili Xuance + Ming Shiyin combo to invade the jungle, while late on, they relied on Hou Yi's ultimate to initiate teamfights, while Mai Shiranui looked for opportunities to flank and cut into the backline.
"Game on!" The referee's voice fell, and Lin Yu controlled Han Xin and headed straight for his own red zone. He knew that Baili Xuance was strong in the early stage and would definitely come to counter the red zone, so he deliberately asked Niu Mo to follow behind him to prepare to defend the wild area.
Niu Mo followed Han Xin in perfect harmony, using his first skill, "Roaring Axe," to preemptively target the red buff, speeding up his jungle clearing. Han Xin's jungle clearing technique was very refined, utilizing the passive of his second skill, "Dead End," to accurately land each strike on the red buff, quickly depleting its health.
At this moment, Baili Xuance's figure suddenly appeared on the small map - the opponent really took Ming Shiyin straight to the red zone, and Ming Shiyin's chain was tied to Baili Xuance. The golden light chain not only provided attack power bonus, but also shared vision. It was obviously premeditated.
"Retreat!" Lin Yu decisively abandoned the red buff and controlled Han Xin to run towards his own blue zone. He knew that if he fought head-on now, he would definitely lose - Baili Xuance had the blessing of Ming Shiyin, his damage was higher than his, and he had already reached level 2, with the pulling effect of his ultimate. Fighting head-on would only result in losing first blood.
But Baili Xuance didn't give up, and followed closely behind. Ming Shiyin's chain was always tied to Baili Xuance, providing him with a speed bonus, and the distance between them was getting closer and closer.
Just as Han Xin was about to rush into the blue zone, Baili Xuance suddenly activated his ultimate skill, "Instant Scythe Slash." His body transformed into a shadow, instantly closing the distance between him and Han Xin and pulling him to his side. Immediately afterwards, Baili Xuance's first skill, "Divine Hook Scythe," flung Han Xin against the blue zone's wall, preventing him from moving.
Ming Shiyin followed closely behind, and tied the chain of his first skill "Reincarnation" to Han Xin. Combined with Baili Xuance's normal attack, Han Xin's health was instantly reduced to a low level.
"Flash!" Lin Yu's fingers quickly tapped the screen, and Han Xin used Flash and fled back to the tower in a panic. The tower's attack fell on Baili Xuance, who gave up the pursuit and turned to take the red buff that Han Xin had not finished.
Lin Yu looked at Han Xin's low health on the screen, his fingers tightening slightly. This wave of counter-jungle had completely disrupted his rhythm - the red buff was gone, and the blue zone was also targeted by Baili Xuance, which would severely suppress Han Xin's development.
"The enemy Baili Xuance is playing very fast, pay attention to your defense," Lin Yu warned his teammates in the voice chat while controlling Han Xin to clear out the small monsters in his own area. The small monsters didn't give much experience or gold, but it was better than nothing. He had to reach level 4 as soon as possible to have a chance to fight back.
Su Ran sat in the battle seat, his fingers darting across the screen. He quickly cleared the mid lane minion wave with Mai Shiranui, then used his first skill, "Flying Dragon Flame Formation," to survey the river. After confirming there were no ambushes, he rushed to support the bottom lane. Baili Xuance and Ming Shiyin were suppressing the SG bottom lane duo, and his Mai Shiranui was just in time to deal damage and secure first blood.
Sure enough, when Su Ran's Mai Shiranui arrived at the bottom lane, Baili Xuance had already forced Marco Polo under the tower. Su Ran seized the opportunity and used his second skill "Flower Butterfly Fan" to hit Marco Polo. The moment the deceleration effect was triggered, Baili Xuance activated his ultimate skill to pull Marco Polo to his side. Ming Shiyin followed up with a basic attack, directly killing Marco Polo.
"First Blood!" The system prompt sounded, and cheers broke out in the AY team's voice chat.
"Beautiful! Brother Ran's support was so timely!" player Baili Xuance shouted excitedly.
Su Ran simply hummed a "hmm" and controlled Mai Shiranui back to the middle lane. He knew this was just the beginning—Han Xin's development was being suppressed, and SG's rhythm would become increasingly chaotic. As long as they could maintain their early advantage, they could win the game.
Five minutes into the game, AY was already ahead by a thousand in gold, and Baili Xuance, with the bonus of the red buff and kills, was over three hundred gold ahead of Han Xin. Lin Yu's Han Xin could only farm in the jungle, not daring to approach the side lanes easily - as soon as he showed up, Baili Xuance and Mai Shiranui would rush over, creating a situation where they were outnumbered.
"Don't worry, wait until I reach level 4." Lin Yu comforted his teammates in the voice chat, "Guan Yu, roam more and help relieve the pressure on the side lanes. I can fight after I develop."
Guan Yu nodded, controlling the hero to roam around the side lanes, and occasionally using his first skill "Single-handedly" to consume AY's health and buy time for his teammates to develop.
Finally, eight minutes into the game, Lin Yu's Han Xin reached level four and equipped himself with speed boots and a small jungle knife. He stared at the minimap, his gaze settling on the middle lane—Su Ran's Shiranui Mai was clearing lanes, moving a bit forward, and Baili Xuance was currently attacking his own blue buff, temporarily unable to provide support.
"Catch a wave in the middle lane, Guan Yu goes around the back!" Lin Yu's voice suddenly sounded in the voice chat, with a hint of urgency in his tone.
Guan Yu was currently on the top lane. Upon receiving the signal, he immediately activated his ultimate ability, "Blade Cavalry," and rode his horse towards the middle lane. He was so fast that he reached the bushes on the middle lane flank in less than ten seconds.
Su Ran's Shiranui Mai was still clearing lanes, completely unaware of the danger. He controlled Shiranui to unleash her second skill, "Flower and Butterfly Fan," to kill the last minion. Just as he was about to turn back to the tower, he saw a red figure burst out from the brush—it was Guan Yu!
Guan Yu's ultimate, "Blade Cavalry," pushed Mai Shiranui in front of Han Xin, triggering a knockback effect. Lin Yu seized the opportunity, controlling Han Xin to activate his first skill, "Ruthless Charge," and rushed towards Mai Shiranui, sending her flying into the air. Han Xin then activated his ultimate, "Unparalleled Patriot," with sword shadows swirling around Mai Shiranui. Combined with Guan Yu's basic attacks, he instantly reduced Mai Shiranui's health to a sliver.
Su Ran wanted to use flash to escape, but it was too late - Han Xin's ultimate skill was still dealing damage, and the last bit of damage directly killed Mai Shiranui.
"Beautiful! Brother Yu's catching the middle was so crucial!" Niu Mo player shouted excitedly.
Lin Yu simply hummed a "hmm" and immediately turned his gaze to AY's red zone. He knew that Baili Xuance had just been attacking the blue buff, and now that the blue buff had been destroyed, he would most likely attack the red buff. This was the best time to counter the red zone.
Han Xin's displacement was very fast. With the three-stage displacement and the bonus of the attack speed boots, he reached AY's red zone in less than five seconds. As expected, Baili Xuance was attacking the red buff, and the red buff's health was low. In addition, Baili Xuance's health also dropped a lot due to attacking the red buff.
Without hesitation, Lin Yu activated Han Xin's first skill, charging towards Baili Xuance. Baili Xuance reacted quickly, immediately unleashing his ultimate to escape, but Han Xin's second skill, "Fight to the Last Water," had already been unleashed, sending Baili Xuance flying and interrupting his ultimate. Han Xin then followed up with a basic attack, combined with a smite, to take down the red buff and reduce Baili Xuance's health to a meager stat.
Baili Xuance wanted to use flash, but Han Xin's normal attack had already landed on him, and he was eventually killed by Han Xin.
"Double kill!" The system notification sounded, and cheers erupted from the SG team's voice chat again. This wave of kills not only allowed Han Xin to get two kills, but also countered the red buff, instantly narrowing the gold gap to 200. SG's rhythm was finally back.
"Pursue victory! Take the Tyrant!" Lin Yu's voice was firm. "Zhou Yu, go clear the middle lane, Niu Mo will follow me, Guan Yu and Marco Polo will go to the side lanes to contain them."
The teammates immediately took action. Zhou Yu released a fire zone in the middle lane to clear AY's troops and prevent AY from supporting; Guan Yu and Marco Polo led the line in the side lane to attract AY's attention; Lin Yu led the Bull Demon and headed straight for the Tyrant Pit.
Han Xin's jungle clearing speed was very fast, and with the help of Niu Mo, he killed the Tyrant in less than a minute. After getting the Tyrant's bonus, SG's economy completely overtook them, and their morale was getting higher and higher.
In the following match, Lin Yu's Han Xin completely rediscovered his form. He repeatedly swerved from behind in teamfights, instantly killing AY's Hou Yi and Shiranui Mai, creating opportunities for SG to win. Guan Yu led the lanes, occasionally flanking and pushing from behind to complement Han Xin's damage output; Marco Polo and Zhou Yu provided frontline pressure, using their sustained damage to wear down AY's health; and Niu Mo took the damage from the front, protecting his teammates.
At 20 minutes into the game, the gold gap between the two sides had already widened to 1,000. When the first Storm Dragon King spawned, Lin Yu communicated with his teammates via voice chat: "Take the Storm Dragon King and end the game in one wave!"
SG's players immediately gathered near the Storm Dragon King pit. Zhou Yu cast a fire zone around the pit to prevent Abyss from approaching. Niu Mo stood at the entrance, charging his ultimate, ready to initiate a fight at any moment. Guan Yu and Marco Polo roamed the flanks, wary of Abyss's sneak attacks. Lin Yu controlled Han Xin, carefully dealing damage to the Storm Dragon King.
Just as the Storm Dragon King's health was reduced to a third, AY's team suddenly charged in. Xiahou Dun activated his ultimate, "Unbound Blade," and leaped toward Han Xin; Baili Xuance roamed the flanks, looking for an opportunity to penetrate; Su Ran's Mai Shiranui lay dormant in the brush, waiting for the right moment to initiate a teamfight.
"Prepare for a team fight!" Lin Yu's voice rang out, "Niu Mo, you start the fight first, I'll take the back row."
Niu Mo immediately activated his ultimate, "Mountain Collapse," sending the AY members flying. Guan Yu seized the opportunity and activated his ultimate, pushing the AY members together. Marco Polo activated his ultimate, "Frenzy Barrage," dealing damage within the fire zone; Zhou Yu continued to release fire zones, expanding his damage range.
Lin Yu controlled Han Xin and activated his first skill to rush towards AY's back row. His goal was clear - to kill Hou Yi instantly. As long as Hou Yi died, AY's output would be interrupted, and SG would have the opportunity to take down the Storm Dragon King.
Just when Han Xin was about to approach Hou Yi, a red figure suddenly rushed out from the flank - it was Su Ran's Mai Shiranui!
Su Ran's Mai Shiranui activated her second skill, "Flower Butterfly Fan," which slowed Han Xin down while also triggering her passive bonus damage. Immediately afterwards, Mai Shiranui's first skill, "Flying Dragon Flame Formation," reduced Han Xin's health to a meager level, and finally she used her ultimate, "Sure Kill: Ninja Bee," to kill Han Xin.
"Beautiful! Su Ran's counter-kill was crucial!" The commentator's voice suddenly rose. "Shiranui Mai's damage was maxed out, instantly killing Han Xin! Here's AY's chance!"
Without Han Xin, the SG team instantly fell into chaos. Baili Xuance seized the opportunity to cut in and instantly killed Marco Polo and Zhou Yu; Xiahou Dun took the damage in the front row, protecting Hou Yi; Ming Shiyin tied Hou Yi down, providing him with an attack damage bonus; Hou Yi activated his ultimate skill "Scorching Sun Arrow" and hit Guan Yu, and with the help of his teammates' damage, he killed Guan Yu.
Team AY took the opportunity to launch an attack, not only defending the Storm Dragon King, but also pushing down SG's middle lane highland tower.
Lin Yu looked at the "death" message on the screen, feeling resentful. He took off his headphones and looked in the direction of Team AY. Su Ran was looking down, his fingers sliding across the screen, his mind wandering.
At this moment, the referee's voice rang out: "The game is over! Team AY wins! The score is 3:1! Team AY wins the league championship!"
The AY team's rest area erupted in deafening cheers, with the players hugging each other and celebrating their victory. Su Ran, surrounded by his teammates, broke into a long-lost smile.
The SG team members all lowered their heads, their expressions grim. The coach patted the players on the shoulders and said in a heavy voice, "Don't be discouraged, everyone. We played very well this time, and we'll have another chance next time."
Lin Yu nodded, picked up his phone, and began replaying the match. He replayed the scene where Shiranui had just killed him—Su Ran's Shiranui's positioning was incredibly agile. Her second skill's displacement just happened to dodge his slam, and her first skill's damage was also spot-on. This play was indeed better than his. A complex wave of emotions suddenly surged within him—reluctance, disappointment, but mostly recognition of Su Ran.
After Su Ran finished celebrating, he turned to look in the direction of the SG team. He saw Lin Yu with his head down, his back looking particularly lonely. He remembered the days when they practiced heroes together in the rented house, and the cheers when they won the city championship. Suddenly, he felt a pang of pain in his heart. He wanted to walk over to Lin Yu and say something, but he didn't know what to say - they were rivals, and saying this now would only make Lin Yu feel worse.
In the end, Su Ran didn't go. He followed his teammates up to the podium and accepted the championship trophy. As the trophy was raised above his head, the audience cheered again, but Su Ran's gaze remained fixed on the SG team's rest area—there, Lin Yu had already stood up and was heading towards the exit.
When Lin Yu walked out of the e-sports center, it started to drizzle outside. The cold rain hitting his face made him sober up a lot. He looked up at the sky and swore in his heart: next time he will win, not only to win AY
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