Chapter 292: Fighting side by side with my enemy!

"One to zero!" English stream commentator JZFB's voice was incredibly excited, and the transmission also caused the audience to cheer vigorously. "Map 1 of this semi-final confrontation, although Vitality is picking Vertigo for the first time in a match, they have shown quite terrifying strength!"

His partner ddk nodded, "Community players have been looking forward to Vitality's Vertigo, and I think their performance in this match should also satisfy their fans."

The cheers in the venue suddenly became a bit louder, and everyone was responding to ddk's words with their voices.

They were indeed very satisfied with this match.

Vertigo just came out, and everyone still has a sense of freshness, so it won't become "Sleepy Vertigo."

Plus, Vitality, as a team, has very frequent frontal engagements, always in a state of confrontation, which keeps their emotions tense, so watching the whole match is still very interesting.

Brollan took off his headphones, and the sound in the venue was like the howling cold wind of winter, drilling into the room and into his ears.

The audience's cheers were still enthusiastic, but at this moment, they were so stinging.

What stung him even more were the numbers fixed on the screen.

16:2

9/2/14

In this confrontation, he, as a "fan," was truly beaten up by his idol throughout.

"Da da da!"

【Pulled out and killed 3, ZywOo and apEX traded 3 back, already tried my best】

But when truly entering the match, the opponent directly put full pressure on him.

Xu Beifang pressed A2 at the start of this point, confirmed A2 was empty, and directly started sneaking forward.

"I can sneak to the police spawn later."

The saved FAMAS didn't create any miracles for them. The impact of being forced to come back from the ECO round was too great, and the economy basically collapsed directly.

After winning the StarSeries trophy, ZywOo's changes in playstyle were great.

Although they lost the pistol round, after successfully planting the bomb, Fnatic's economy was still quite good.

Xu Beifang's frontal breakthrough and ZywOo's several consecutive kills appeared on the live broadcast camera again.

Coming to the third round.

Others just smiled, expressing understanding.

apEX's reply speed was the fastest, directly entering the supermarket to reinforce, but he only killed one before being traded.

Immediately after, on that huge screen, appeared Xu Beifang's ID photo and the specific data of this match.

Xu Beifang operated at the front, and JackZ also attracted the attention of another person at A Site, and as long as Xu Beifang wanted a flash, he could give it in time. This kind of coordination was just too comfortable.

Xu Beifang didn't understand what happened, but his reaction was fast, and he adjusted his muzzle at the first moment, looking under the archway.

This is Fnatic's map pick, and they were on the offensive side first.

Xu Beifang exerted force in the frontal breakthrough, ZywOo and shox could cover the bottom, plus the team's sufficient pre-match preparation.

But now at IEM Sydney, happening to run into Vitality's match, and Nice playing indeed outstandingly, he wouldn't be stingy with his words of praise.

The engagement in Mid wasn't very smooth, but fortunately, Brollan got control of the sandbag, and he was hanging alone at the sandbag, swaying to scout the sewer and T-spawn directions, so they didn't have to worry about enemies at the archway.

"Nonsense, your role is very big." Xu Beifang lightly punched JackZ, praising him sincerely, "Many times, if it weren't for you helping me pull the second gun line, or the utility being given, I definitely wouldn't have played so easily at the front."

apEX nodded: "Everyone's coordination was very silky today. We just need to pursue this playstyle, let ZywOo and Beifang break the gap at the front, and then everyone cooperates to further gain an advantage."

Finally, xizt called a stop to the argument, and everyone fell silent.

Vitality saved two long guns this point, and apEX and others also followed with a mixed-buy operation with short guns and utility.

Vitality being able to play a 16:2 score in this match was often because Xu Beifang got a kill at the front, and ZywOo got a kill at the other end, directly blooming on both sides.

JW was killed and was also very speechless.

This wave of B-site speed-up proceeded, shox noticed something was wrong, but was instantly killed by Brollan from a long distance.

But at this moment, the venue exclaimed.

Brollan also shouted: "I have also been looking at this VIP area, it's impossible for him to have time to go over."

But suddenly gunfire came from behind. Before he could react, he was instantly killed.

"That was an accident! An accident!"

If only NIKO was eaten to death by Xu Beifang on this map, he would be very uncomfortable.

He sneaked out directly from the sewer. ZywOo saw this situation and asked: "Do you want me to give you a flash for the archway?"

Xu Beifang's 22-2-8 record was right in front of him. Brollan felt a bit lost for a moment.

twist answered first: "We also want to ask! Isn't it said that there is no timing for the archway and VIP? How did someone come from the police spawn?"

Brollan held the archway for a long time, and until the archway smoke dissipated, he still didn't get any information.

Xu Beifang's gun muzzle shook, and he looked at the top right, somewhat puzzled.

The score was pulled to 15:10, and Vitality took the match point first.

Is our gap really that big?

"Brollan and KRIMZ don't know what happened, but they are still trying hard to retake, but the bomb has already been planted, and Vitality even got control of the police spawn. apEX and shox both have long guns to use. Do they really have a chance to retake this wave?"

As Vitality's practice opponent, they were dragged by Vitality to play this map every day recently.

Xu Beifang gave a "hmm" and was just preparing to get ready to counter-clear the Archway, when he saw a smoke grenade explode at the near point of the Archway, completely blocking their vision.

"Try it, JackZ still has a flashbang. Later, when we fly out, you need to flash the enemies near the jump platform, others follow me directly toward A2."

Now the first game of the conceptual local thinking, the overall effect is not bad.

There is no kill information, and no kill was produced.

But looking at the match, he didn't understand why NIKO could laugh when seeing Vitality show another strong map.

"Vitality chose to force-buy decisively. It's just that if this force-buy fails, the score will be directly tied." English stream commentator JZFB analyzed the situation.

【Top-tier!!】

The offensive side only got 6 points, which is an acceptable score for Fnatic. Compared to the 2 points in Map 1, this can already be tried.

The two quickly finished communicating. Xu Beifang hid in the smoke grenade, and ZywOo's archway instant flash was also given.

Because as the team's leader, apEX is often multi-threaded thinking, sometimes the brain can't keep up with the rhythm of the hands, which is understandable.

From the qualifiers to the official match, such qualifying tournaments are not easy.

This is the strongest group of young people now, and their performance in the match is so abnormal, completely unreasonable.

"Beifang sneaked to the archway, Brollan is still looking at the bottom of the archway, he completely doesn't know Nice has sneaked up!"

Fnatic didn't expect this wave to be caught by Vitality because of the lack of rigor in the opening default.

"Bang! Bang!"

Before, being beaten into a zombie by Xu Beifang in the Yellow Cloth every day, he was very looking forward to seeing what level Vitality could have if they picked it.

Brollan got 14 kills in the first half and had found some heart.

Vitality's pistol round chose a wave of B-site explosive rush. Vitality arranged a heavy defense A-site playstyle. shox single-B played 1-for-1,

In the pistol round, Fnatic chose a fast B-site explosive bomb execution. Vitality had arranged a heavy defense on the A-site; shox played a solo B and traded 1-for-1, and the 4 remaining players chose to retake from the Supermarket and B Small.

ddk believed that Fnatic still had hope of dragging the match into a third map; after all, this was Fnatic's own map pick, and Fnatic's performance over the previous two days had been outstanding enough. Being hammered by Vitality on Map 1 was mainly because the gap in map understanding was too large, and their gunplay couldn't be fully utilized.

Sure enough, on such popular maps, everyone has a few tricks up their sleeves.

Just as the Vitality members were teasing apEX, they saw the live audience gasp, and the sound of intense AK-47 gunfire reached their ears.

He thought that the player Xu Beifang was simply too outrageous.

KRIMZ was a bit anxious, and his tone in asking this was quite heavy.

After all, the team's frontal firepower and synergy were insufficient.

"I think it's unlikely."

Why did Xu Beifang spend so much time on various map-running training and utility research?

Brollan, standing on the left side of the Archway, didn't know either.

There are benefits for the team as well; this style of play from Xu Beifang often allows him to gather a massive amount of information.

【Fnatic's A-site is practically like Xu's own home; it's too easy.】

"Hehe," NiKo gave a light laugh, "The main thing is, Nice played this map too well; I can't be the only one getting beaten up."

【We embrace back-to-back】

At the StarSeries finals, seeing Xu Beifang almost suppressing s1mple made him incredibly hyped; he only regretted not being the commentator for that final, missing the chance to provide a passionate commentary.

Silent contact has always been the offensive style apEX pursues.

【Hahahaha, what kind of B-timing is this?】

Xu Beifang turned his head to look at Zywoo. The venue was in the middle of a halftime break, and he was just happily dancing with shox, looking just like his usual self.

He quickly planned a firing rhythm in his mind, placing his crosshair on the head of the CT at the Short Box first.

【World-famous painting, hahahaha, cracked me up.】

【What exaggerated stats.】

You can draw circles with your crosshair; once you aim through a wall, the audience will respond with their cheers.

On the giant screen at the venue, the highlight kills of this match had already started playing.

Looking at Xu Beifang's position, apEX also understood what Xu Beifang wanted to do.

Xu Beifang was also adjusting his playstyle.

But Vitality simply executed a basic A-site explosive bomb, and Xu Beifang's frontal breakthrough, combined with JackZ's trade kills, directly dismantled their defense.

And the remaining members directly rotated to reinforce the B-site.

"Nice used this excellent timing to successfully steal two big backs. Vitality threw a textbook Link smoke and a flash for A-site, flew down from A2, and planted the bomb."

As the member with the hottest hand, Brollan took the initiative to speak: "It's only a 3-round difference. As long as we can take one pistol round in the second half, we can tie the score. Making a comeback isn't a particularly difficult task."

【Swedish genius boy? My evaluation is: if you're bad, practice more!】

As the current World No. 4, FaZe has always wanted to prove that an international roster is viable.

But he took a closer look.

"We were holding angles for this wave, and we were all taken out by Nice who snuck up from behind. We didn't even have a chance to fire."

This is the reality of CSGO offline tournaments.

Zywoo also understood Xu Beifang's idea. He worked hard to stall in Mid alone, even seizing an opportunity to headshot JW who was holding an angle, forcing a 1-for-1 trade.

Hmm... this kind of little trick is quite unethical.

Now that they had not only won but done so with such an exaggerated score, he was very satisfied.

JW also nodded: "Play well. It wasn't easy for us to get this far, let's put in the effort."

In terms of weaponry, they directly crushed Vitality.

Brollan also found his rhythm in this round, peeking Mid at the start with his teammate's flashbang, directly taking out Zywoo. Fnatic subsequently used simple utility to directly take control of Mid.

Nice didn't have as exaggerated a breakthrough on this map as he did on Map 1.

In a state where the bomb wasn't planted, he directly tossed a Galil to Xu Beifang.

Professional players learn very quickly; they also kept up with the rhythm. Although they still couldn't win, the number of rounds they secured kept increasing.

"Archway counter-clear!" Zywoo shouted in great surprise, "Beifang, what's your situation?"

"Fate is just that clever; do you understand what it means to fight side-by-side with my enemy?"

But now the main force had sufficient firepower and good coordination, so the effect appeared immediately.

Then Fnatic directly executed a fast B Small rush.

"You wait a second, I'll hide in the smoke, you throw a flash and I'll try to catch them."

However, the Fnatic members still encouraged each other and bumped fists, striving to compete for every single round.

They also had significant aspirations for the World No. 1 spot.

In reality, Xu Beifang was not his idol.

Although this was Vitality's map pick, he was high-spirited before the match, thinking that no matter what, he could save the team from the fire.

……

It is normal for them to have such a huge score gap today.

Besides, Zywoo is here to provide a safety net.

"Brollan peeked from the Jump Platform to scout the situation and was directly taken out by shox's AUG spray. There was no room for any play at all, and KRIMZ could only save his weapon."

Since the StarSeries, Vitality's understanding of the game CSGO has been advancing by leaps and bounds, and Zywoo has also entered a period of rapid growth.

twist focused intently on holding A2, just needing to be wary of anyone potentially coming out of A2.

NiKo also wanted to prove to the audience that his calling was not a problem.

And after Vitality's winning streak, they also completed their economic management.

His mind flashed back to his own clearing of the angles just now, and he understood that Brollan had just been standing at the near point on the right side of the Archway.

This way, even if he were killed, apEX could still lead the team to make better judgments afterward and bring the game back.

"Awesome! This Fnatic has been getting beaten up the whole time, not a single chance to fight back. Vitality's Mirage is truly monstrous," NiKo said with a smile.

rain asked in confusion: "Vitality's Mirage is so strong, what are you so happy about?"

"Your idea is truly unethical," rain teased NiKo, then said, "But this Nice is indeed ruthless; Brollan is already depressed, haha."

K/A/D: 22/2/8

ADR: 104.2

Survival Rate: 85%

Rating: 1.79

After the stats for Map 1 appeared, it instantly sparked a discussion in the live stream's chat.

However, he also made some moves during the force-buy.

Xu Beifang silently crept into Jungle, watching JW who was holding Mid-to-Long inside VIP. He suppressed his urge to fire and silently crept into CT Spawn bit by bit.

shox, who was dancing with Zywoo over there, heard the chat and added: "I also contributed today, okay? Many of my pop-flashes were top-tier, okay?"

Previously, with JackZ's trade kills following up, his overall offense could be bolder; for example, once he confirmed the opponent's information, he could directly go find people to fight.

Fnatic also sorted out their emotions, and their thoughts became clear.

The flashbang exploded, and Xu Beifang also pulled out a smoke grenade. After quickly checking the dead corner on the left side of the Archway and behind the box on the right, he confirmed no one was there, then silently moved behind the box, holding an angle to prepare for the CT scouting the Archway.

Unable to gain a man-count advantage, they directly started saving weapons.

"Vitality started by throwing a VIP smoke, sending Zywoo behind the Sandbags. Nice is pushing forward slowly in the Sewer alone; it looks like they are preparing for a synchronized play."

He also wanted to be like Xu Beifang, to quickly realize his talent after entering the top-tier scene, shine in major tournaments, and become the player everyone expects.

Fnatic executed a B-site explosive bomb, only to find that Vitality had already set up their angles. Intense frontal trades were happening, and Xu Beifang, who had pushed up, easily picked up the last kill. Vitality completed the comeback.

But Xu Beifang didn't give him any chance, taking him out with a single burst of spray.

Suddenly hearing the audience's shouts, he was so startled he shook, thinking his crosshair had aimed at an enemy.

The final score of the first half was locked at 9:6.

But he understood very well.

But after this match was over, they had only secured two rounds at the start, and were then taken for 16 consecutive rounds by Vitality; they were completely stunned.

"Now it depends on whether Fnatic can adjust their state back."

But this glance only saw half a body leaving his field of vision.

Just as Fnatic's spirits were low, a fan's loud shout rang out in the arena.

At most, it was just a goal.

This Map 1 really made him feel great.

Originally, within the team, JackZ was also an entry fragger at the front, using a playstyle of grouping up with Xu Beifang for trade kills.

Although JackZ played a supporting role in the back, he played a part in many instances from the backline.

He thought that after being flashed, no one would stand in that kind of position, so he subconsciously ignored it.

NBK and RPK's playstyles didn't quite mesh with the whole team; sometimes they would just disappear while playing silent contact.

xizt in CT Spawn realized something was wrong and immediately manipulated his mouse to spray and turn around.

Fnatic still wanted to unfold a Mid-to-B split in the second timing in this round.

NiKo looked at the somewhat silent Fnatic players on camera and shook his head after a long silence:

"16:2, this score gap is too big. Although they are a veteran powerhouse, it doesn't mean they can adjust just because they want to."

Now his head is spinning, his face is red, his chest is tight, and his hands are shaking...

【These two guys are suffocating.】

USP-S consecutive headshots on three people, powerfully completing the comeback!

JackZ took off his headset and scratched his head: "Beifang was truly the carry today, unlike me... I became the 'Electronic' in the back, getting mixed to death for no reason so many times."

"Will this become a foreshadowing for this round?"

The director was also very knowledgeable; he directly switched the camera to a third-person god's-eye view for the audience.

The two English-stream commentators were instantly dumbfounded. They didn't expect Vitality to win another 2v4 clutch. This was already the third 2v4 for Vitality in this match; they even suspected if Vitality had awakened some strange buff.

As the most outstanding Swedish genius boy, he debuted very, very early, entering the professional scene much earlier than Xu Beifang. Xu Beifang couldn't, and wouldn't become his idol.

For the subsequent scores, in most of their rounds, they basically held off a wave with frontal defense, gained an advantage in man-count trades, and the rest would retake.

As a famous "Nice-fan," he is the commentator who declared Xu Beifang the world's No. 1 entry fragger in the first half of the year.

He played more aggressively in the front, and his overall kills became higher.

"Bang!"

He didn't quite understand. Vitality and Fnatic had played a few scrims. In the scrims, he felt Nice was just "so-so," not at an incredibly exaggerated level.

At this moment, he decisively asked his teammate at B Small for a Mid flashbang, got ready, and directly peeked out.

There were several more Mid-to-B splits where, as they played, they would find Nice had already snuck into their rear.

"Fnatic still took the second-half pistol round. Brollan was indeed too accurate in CT Spawn this time; the frontal collapse was too fast."

In Fnatic's voice comms, KRIMZ asked in confusion: "What's your situation? How did the A-site get wiped out all of a sudden?"

But if others were also suffering, he would feel great.

When he first became an IGL, he had tried this set of tactics, but it wasn't ideal.

Gunfire came from both VIP and the Archway. This wave could be considered sacrificing Zywoo, but Xu Beifang brainstormed and didn't go to Mid to trouble Brollan.

The match on the field continued. The advantageous clutch after planting the bomb was once again taken back by Vitality, which was a huge blow to Fnatic's morale.

Under his expectant gaze, both sides officially entered the match on Mirage.

It's just that they only gained a man-count advantage for a few measly rounds.

Turns out it was a blunder.

But Brollan's hand was very hot; in this A-site attack, he headshot three people with three bullets.

JZFB shook his head: "That's not how you say it. Although this is Fnatic's map pick, Vitality's win rate on this map is also very high. That time they chased down ten-plus rounds to complete a comeback also happened on this map."

"A Nice snuck up the Archway, Brollan is still looking below the Archway, he has no idea Nice has already snuck up!"

In the next few rounds, Xu Beifang also felt that on this map, Fnatic's rhythm was indeed much better than on Map 1.

He had always considered Fnatic a gatekeeper of the top tier; Brollan's addition caused some fluctuations in their strength, but not much.

JackZ's execution is very strong, and he is willing to cooperate with Xu Beifang in a supporting posture. What more could you ask for with such a teammate?

This was also a change after competing against Liquid.

"Although they didn't plant the bomb, Vitality still chose to force-buy, and Nice even got a Hero Galil,"

He thought the Archway was completely empty, so he kept holding VIP, but after a flashbang exploded, a CT rushed out of the Archway, giving him a scare.

【Nice used Galil to headshot twist】

"Just a wall apart, yet they have no idea of each other's existence. I've already imagined a romantic blockbuster in my head!"

Vitality showed great strength, which shows that FaZe has a good grasp of this map, at least better than Fnatic.

They were slightly stunned in the player seats, and then the arena turned into a barrage of cheers from the fans. Amidst these cheers, Fnatic stabilized their mindset.

The 15-minute halftime break passed, and the arena's camera appeared on the live stream again.

At the same time, the audience was also very curious about who would make the first move.

With mutual encouragement, the Fnatic members started the second-half pistol round.

But after practicing, they slowly adapted to the intensity.

Both English-stream commentators thought this round couldn't be won, but JackZ stood up at this moment, letting everyone see what a French man's pistol is like.

……

【Especially when they can't win, yet keep pushing up A-slope. As a Fnatic fan, I'm dying of anxiety.】

But that match revealed that JackZ's trade-kill efficiency was indeed good, but his ability to find opportunities frontally was far inferior to Xu Beifang's.

"Bang!"

【I don't know how many times A-site has been pierced on this Map 1; Fnatic just doesn't know how to play it.】

After Zywoo was taken out in Mid, only shox was left defending the B-site alone.

The audience can also become an important part of offline tournaments.

Could it be someone teasing the audience?

In CSGO matches, there is a little trick using the offline audience: when you realize the main broadcast perspective is on you.

Xu Beifang felt Fnatic's rhythm was better than the last one, while Fnatic felt Vitality's frontal suppression was still fierce.

Although they understood in their hearts that Vitality's strength was great, they still held some hope for this match.

But after that argument, the breath they were holding seemed to have dissipated.

【Brollan is worthy of being a genius boy; he wiped them out in one go.】

【Pure crushing, not even a match for one round.】

As an entry fragger, being able to put up sniper-like stats, and having such stable performance, is just outrageous.

Isn't it all for this moment?

If he remembered correctly, while defending A Small, he only solo-killed Xu Beifang once the whole game.

After losing the pistol round, apEX directed Vitality to force-buy.

(Reference Image)

There was no other way; Xu Beifang and JackZ directly started saving weapons.

"Is this how you treat your fans?"

apEX shouted urgently.

……

In comparison, Vitality's strength is quite considerable.

Fnatic fans watched expectantly from the stands, hoping they could explode with potential at match point and pull off a comeback to force overtime.

They were also beaten up like this by Vitality at first, with no power to fight back.

"And here Nice doesn't know there's still someone in the Archway; both are holding their own angles!" JZFB exclaimed on the commentary desk. This kind of dramatic scene usually only appears in Silver-rank matches; seeing it in a professional match is a bit theatrical.

The opponent on this Map 1 directly left them in a state of delirium.

"Let's go Fnatic!!"

The team was instantly in an argument; everyone didn't understand where the problem was, and no one thought it was their own problem.

Xu Beifang beamed: "Treating fans, you have to teach them some real stuff."

KRIMZ said: "I've been watching the B2 area the whole time; it's impossible for me to have missed the timing here."

In the Vitality player seats, shox took off his headset and teased Xu Beifang.

And he had died at Xu Beifang's hands countless times already.

xizt chose to mobilize the team's economy, coming up with a configuration of one AK-47 plus three Galils.

"We can clearly see Vitality's thorough preparation on their own map pick," ddk continued, "Map 2 has come to Fnatic's choice, Mirage. On this map, the gap between Fnatic and Vitality might not be that large, and there's still a great chance to catch them back."

But JW and Brollan took the initiative first; Zywoo in the Supermarket and apEX at B Small were instantly killed.

Xu Beifang snuck into CT Spawn and quickly saw xizt holding an AUG directly aiming at A1 from under the phone booth, and near the Short Box, there was another person crouching and directly aiming at A2.

Flashbangs and M4 gunfire rang out from the near point of the Archway. Xu Beifang, who was still holding an angle, was instantly stunned.

But their several A-site link-ups were all disgusted by Nice's utility.

"In that case, Fnatic is at a huge loss. This Mid counter-clear, although it caught Zywoo, JW was traded back," ddk also noticed the discord on the minimap, "And this Nice has already snuck into CT Spawn. Could he really be pulling off a comeback here?"

English-stream commentator JZFB quickly commentated on the desk: "The players have returned to the match room. Winning Map 1 has put Vitality in a very good mood. They indeed played brilliantly in the last match; Nice, as an entry fragger, basically pierced through the A-site, and Fnatic had no power to fight back."

There's no one here either!

【If you ask me, it's just that apEX's flashbangs were too weak; they didn't affect anything at all.】

"The stronger Vitality's Mirage is, the more it proves that we aren't bad on this map either," NiKo explained.

He didn't understand why the audience gasped.

shox looked at apEX with a mischievous smile: "The brothers' utility was indeed very good today, it's just that your flashbangs, apEX, were a bit monstrous; you flashed me several times in frontal fights."

"And Brollan was already stunned on Map 1, yet Nice's performance is still outstanding. Personally, I'm more inclined toward Vitality ending the match 2-0."

Xu Beifang had already arrived at the Sewer exit with his Galil. After pre-aiming, he peeked at the Archway position. The opponent wasn't holding the Sewer directly, nor did they give him a chance.

In the subsequent clutch with Zywoo and apEX, Zywoo played beautifully, but still couldn't win the clutch.

If apEX had let Xu Beifang solo today, he probably could still suppress Brollan and keep him from performing, but it definitely wouldn't have been this smooth.

Vitality, under apEX's command, chose a fast A-site explosive bomb.

Later, they tried that on maps with larger structures, especially areas with more default zones, JackZ could cooperate with Xu Beifang from a distance and then move to a close point for trade kills when needed.

But this playstyle now required him to be even more meticulous with details.

KRIMZ and xizt tried a play in this clutch, but ultimately fell under Zywoo's muzzle.

The score on this Fnatic-chosen Mirage was locked at 16:10.

Vitality also defeated Fnatic with a 2-0 scoreline, successfully advancing to the IEM Sydney finals!

……

Double monthly tickets after 12:00~