Chapter 171: Breaking the Moves! The Soul-Stealing Asura with a Debt to Collect!

"The game was killed before twenty-five minutes were up! One to zero! EDG has drawn first blood in this final!!"

"EDG's signature fast-paced attack is still blooming with bloody brilliance on the final's stage! The relentless, fast-and-decisive rhythm has unleashed its full might in the opening game on the blue side!" Wawa's voice was trembling slightly with excitement.

The EDG supporters in the stands were frantically waving their cheering props.

Wave after wave of enthusiastic, thunderous cheers saw the black-and-white checkered team flag belonging to the Knights being waved wantonly throughout the Chase Center!

"That was truly beautiful!" Wang Duo, equally unable to contain his excitement, spoke incessantly: "EDG has displayed the offensive frenzy they are so proud of; it feels like DRX is clearly having a hard time parrying!"

The relatively calmer Miller pointed directly to the crux of the issue: "The most critical factor is still the perfect individual performance from player Ye in this match! This Akali is absolutely worthy of the name 'master-class'!"

"Three full solo kills in the lane, showing almost the most direct laning suppression, and the lethal sniping of the enemy backline in several team fights—it was simply like a dark cloud hanging over their heads!"

The comments in the fired-up livestream chat were slightly intense in their wording.

【This is what you call a real master! If you leave it open, he takes it! If he takes it, he delivers! Never a lie!】

【Oh? Is this the legendary BLG veteran who said the LPL region's laning strength wasn't up to par? Doesn't look like much either!】

【Hey, you really can't slander him like that. After all, when Zeka was still at BLG last year, Master Ye hadn't even come down from the Prince Temple Wing Chun gym yet~】

【Worthy of being the Sect Master of our Akali Sect! The Trickster LeBlanc organization previously tried to seize power and fight for status, but now the facts have proven—my Ye's gate is still the world of the Akali Sect!】

【Doesn't Zeka like to talk big before a match? Don't ban the mid-laner next game either, if you have the guts, leave it open again! If you have the guts, leave Akali open three times!】

【To be solo killed three times and still leave it open, I suggest the DRX coaching staff can be sent together to the 38th parallel to be minions for Chovy to farm, especially that last solo kill; it's clear Zeka's bottom line was seen through by Master Ye!】

The post-match replay happened to be at the moment of the third solo kill.

The classic "flying wing-to-wing" scene between Akali and Sylas.

Yet that Akali's figure was almost pressed against Sylas's, releasing skills simultaneously; the two looked as if they were moving in sync in the air, and even the landing spots for their second-stage R dashes were exactly the same!

That was clearly Ye Bo's understanding of Akali's operational logic, a prediction made by guessing the decision-making the opponent might take.

The atmosphere at the LCK commentary desk was much more somber.

However, at this moment, they were also emphasizing the same issue.

"The strength of the hero Akali is really a bit too high, especially in the hands of players with top-tier mechanical ability, it's truly a bit scary."

The Roaring Emperor recalled the several plays from the previous game that were impossible to understand without watching in slow motion, and his face turned deathly pale.

But he quickly adjusted his state and began to speak up for his own team and players.

"Of course, we must say that the few solo kills in this game actually looked like they were just by a hair! Heroes like this are naturally more prone to solo kills, everyone please don't blame the players too much!"

"However, DRX will come to the blue side in the next game, and I think in terms of BP, they will definitely make many changes and designs to cope with the loss in the first game."

CT-ge couldn't help but sigh softly, not picking up the conversation but speaking to himself.

"This Akali, it seems it really cannot be left to Ye."

"And this hero's performance in the game wasn't just about solo kills; the threat shown to the backline was also truly too great! Even a hero as hard to kill as Sivir could hardly survive. The assassinations in several team fights and the constant high-pressure deterrence on the side lanes are actually important reasons why DRX could only keep defending and found it hard to organize an attack!"

Akali's BP rate in the S12 World Championship was actually quite high; it wasn't just teams with "master" players like Ye Bo and Zeka that would ban it.

Thinking about it, this seems somewhat counter-intuitive.

After all, in this S12 version with the durability update, it could be said that the vast majority of "orthodox assassins" were already dead.

Only Akali and LeBlanc could be considered to have survived.

LeBlanc survived because she could serve as "pre-war poke" and an "early-game small-scale combat tool," fulfilling the strategic role of a "mid-lane Renekton."

And Akali—that was entirely because of this hero's damage!

The current version of Akali's stats were very exaggerated, and since the hero's entire repertoire was focused on damage and burst capability, she was almost one of the few heroes least affected by the durability update.

Because, as long as Akali's skills could land fully, the damage far exceeded that little increase in durability!

In a quarter-final match where T1 played against RNG, Faker's Akali, which was targeted and restricted for the whole game, still managed to forcibly cut down the ADC in the crowd during the late game despite being significantly behind in items; that was the best example.

The livestream was currently showing the MVP selection results.

Clearly, there was no reason for there to be any suspense in this match.

{8/0/4 KDA}

{36. 9% Team Damage Share}

{19324. 16 Damage Dealt}

{2200 Gold Difference vs Opponent}

Akali's sharp gaze squinted forward, killing intent surging and permeating her body, the dragon tattoo on her back seeming to flicker with fluorescence, while the sickle blade and kunai in her hands were ready to strike!

In the middle, Ye Bo's official portrait had been changed to his only "cold version" where the director had forcibly demanded "no smiling."

With that disdainful posture looking down from a forty-five-degree angle, the two temperaments were similar, and one could even say they had merged into one without any awkwardness!

【Holy crap, this look in his eyes, it's like he's looking at trash, I love it.】

【Master Ye is definitely a contrast king~】

【Exaggerated, oh? Even a hero like Akali can hit this kind of damage share? He really is the King of Damage!】

【Actually, doesn't this reflect the intensity of the mid-lane laning phase? At least half of this damage must have been dealt to Sylas; the mid-lane was just fighting the whole time!】

【Can the director cut to the DRX backstage? I still want to see that unruly look on Zeka! Very urgent!】

Backstage.

In the DRX lounge, Zeka was full of shame.

His originally confident long face stared at the floor, and only his forehead could be seen.

No matter how much one talks to the heavens, even if there are the most extreme reasons or the most excuses—in the game of League of Legends, a solo kill is the most direct thing that creates a gap.

This is true for every position.

If it weren't for the rhythm set by the first solo kill on Sylas, there wouldn't have been the second "Flying Thunder God" double kill.

And in that wave, DRX's perfect counter-offensive team fight had even been won, and they could have immediately taken the Rift Herald afterward; perhaps the situation would have reversed, instantly turning the tide of the game!

Not to mention the second and third solo kills, which were simply deaths caused by his "unwillingness to accept defeat," still thinking about making plays the moment he was engaged.

But although Zeka was guilty.

In fact, he still refused to accept it!

People who play these kinds of mechanical heroes, especially various assassins or the four sisters of the top lane, are naturally unable to accept being outplayed by others, as if only they should be the ones outplaying the opponent.

Of course, it is precisely this kind of personality that allows them to make those relatively brilliant plays.

And more importantly, for this type of player, "self-confidence" can be said to be the most important thing.

If they are ever truly "beaten into submission" and dare not make plays anymore.

That would be the truly devastating result.

"Don't take it too much to heart," Deft stood up and came to his side, gently patting him with his hand, his tone very soft: "The opposing mid-laner is very strong, everyone makes mistakes, this doesn't prove anything."

"Everyone, the most important reason we were able to get here is because we have a heart that never yields."

Beryl, on the side, was also a bit embarrassed and just wanted to say something.

After all, the BP was done by him; winning is a merit, and losing is a responsibility.

And from the perspective of the result, leaving Akali open seemed to be a wrong choice.

"Besides, the decision to leave the BP open was also a decision we all made together. If we want to assign blame, we all have responsibility."

Deft said the second half of the sentence with a smile again.

The words on Beryl's lips also stopped.

"Our start along the way hasn't been very smooth, it doesn't matter, everyone shouldn't take one loss too much to heart."

"This BO5 has only just begun."

Zeka raised his head, listening to the low-voiced comfort from the team's big brother, and only felt that the self-esteem that had just been hit was newly coated with a layer of cement.

A hot fire seemed to be rekindled in his eyes.

The other few, whose moods were originally a bit low, also relaxed quite a bit, and the overwhelming pressure weakened slightly.

In this DRX team.

If one were to say who has the best mechanics, there would be controversy; if one were to say who the core component is, there would be controversy; and the key figure who could get them here is even more controversial.

But only the "soul of the team" would have no controversy.

Since the playoffs, DRX has been able to constantly come from behind, losing one and then two, and then chasing three to break through.

After getting the fourth seed, from the group stage to the quarter-finals and then to the semi-finals, they kept winning three-to-two to arrive here. Among them, Deft's existence has extraordinary significance for this immature team and its members.

And when the BO5 score is behind, how the team members' mental pressure affects their performance on the field, GEN's third game is the best example.

Zeka looked at Deft's eyes, and after a while, he suddenly sat up with a determined look.

"I have an idea."

Beryl was a bit hesitant after hearing what the other said.

Kingen raised an eyebrow, while Pyosik was eager to try.

At this time, Deft looked into everyone's eyes again: "We have to believe in Jianyou, he can do it."

Beryl had always only believed in his own judgment.

But there was one exception.

That was his second AD teammate, this quiet and steady big brother.

Finally, he also nodded: "Then I will optimize the BP details again."

At the same time, inside the T1 base in Korea.

It should logically be vacation time now.

However, Korea is small, and traveling across the country only takes a few hours, so the T1 members were not in such a hurry to go home, and tacitly stayed in the base for a few more days together.

It was as if they just wanted to be here, and the five of them together witness with their own eyes who the final winner on that stage was.

Of course.

The real reason was that the few who had returned had not yet been able to "walk out" of New York.

A one-step difference; it really was just one step away.

The people who should have been standing on that stage were them!

"I feel like they've already found the Achilles' heel of DRX," Keria said in a low tone, his eyes unable to hide his disappointment.

"Just look at this first game; it's exactly as we concluded after our match."

Having experienced five grueling, heart-wrenching battles, T1 had summarized a great deal.

In their view, to beat this DRX, one only needed to achieve two out of these three things: {silence the top lane}, {withstand the pressure of the mid lane matchup}, and {restrict the roaming of the bottom lane}; that would be enough to limit the strength this team should have.

Relying on just one jungler is simply not enough to support the rhythm of the entire team!

Furthermore, this is the inherent nature of the DRX team itself, and it is very difficult to change—just as everyone knows that as long as you can suppress the EDG mid laner, you can limit their ability to control the rhythm.

The key is knowing how to implement it once you know.

But there is only one chance, and the T1 members, at least for this year, no longer have that chance.

But without a doubt, EDG did very well in this game.

Keria continued to speak, seemingly already pessimistic: "Their restrictions on the blue side were too good. Now it depends on how DRX chooses to make their picks and bans on the blue side; if they still can't handle it..."

"It's not that simple," Li Xianghe shook his head silently.

"Don't forget, they are not that easy to defeat."

Having personally played a full series against DRX and lost, he knew very well the resilience of this Dragon-X team.

In fact, the more they are at a disadvantage, the more it ignites their fighting spirit.

Not to mention, given the speed at which DRX evolves on this stage, they are likely even further ahead now than they were in the semifinals.

It was merely an unintentional remark by Li Xianghe.

Yet it suddenly caused Keria to fall silent instantly.

The three people around him were also speechless; Zeus even hung his head like a child who had done something wrong, silently picking at his fingers.

The atmosphere in the room was somewhat oppressive.

And deep in everyone's eyes, there was nothing but unwillingness.

It wasn't just because they fell in the semifinals; it was also because the momentum they had been building up since the end of the group stage, and the opponent they desperately wanted to take revenge on, could not be faced this time.

Li Xianghe also realized his words were not quite right, but he only patted the others lightly.

As the "soul" of the team, he wasn't as eloquent as Deft, and often he could only comfort them this way.

"The picks and bans have started. As expected, they still banned Akali."

The live broadcast happened to appear, providing an opportunity to change the subject.

The group tacitly entered their state immediately, easing the uncomfortable atmosphere.

"This really has to be banned; even when we played against them, we knew we couldn't let it through. Actually, this hero is way more disgusting than Sylas," Gumayusi revealed a bitter smile exclusive to an ADC.

"Should we also ban LeBlanc? This guy's assassin is a bit strong."

"Unlikely, the blue side doesn't have that many ban slots. Giving up one for Akali is... sigh, it seems they changed their picks and bans this game?"

DRX was not stubborn; after being solo-killed three times, they finally banned Akali, who had clearly been in extremely hot form in the previous game.

But starting from the second ban, the picks and bans of both sides underwent multiple rounds of changes.

First round of bans—

DRX: Akali, Maokai, Fiora

EDG: Caitlyn, Heimerdinger, Ashe

When the results of the first round of bans were released, both Ye Bo and Beryl found it somewhat within their expectations... yet also somewhat unexpected!

The blue side did not invest more ban slots into the mid lane, only banning Akali.

As for EDG's picks and bans.

This was a foreshadowing laid out since the group stage.

As early as the second game against T1, Ye Bo had already released it to experiment and confirmed one of his ideas.

Yuumi, a hero that was almost a default fixed ban on the red side in S12—for teams that "extremely rely on supports," its strength is actually not that high!

Keria's performance in that game had already proven this point.

But the supports of the subsequent two teams, DK and Gen. , did not belong to this type, so EDG still banned Yuumi on the red side.

And in Ye Bo's view, Beryl and Keria were exactly the same type of player!

Therefore, they were not prepared to ban Yuumi in this game either, in order to gain an extra ban slot.

Then, why ban both Heimerdinger and Ashe at the same time?

Couldn't they just let them all out? Or just ban one of them?

The answer is—of course not!

If neither were banned, it would confirm the result Beryl had envisioned: the opponent would first-pick Heimerdinger, and the red side would be unable to counter-pick with Ashe, forced to hand over the strongest lane-priority combination to the opponent.

And if only Ashe were banned, it would be handing Heimerdinger to the opponent for free, and the red side would only have one ban slot left, unable to deal with all the meta heroes—at that point, the blue side would be able to get three meta-strong heroes and still be able to get a large number of signature picks!

Banning only Heimerdinger follows a similar logic; the laning and roaming ability of support Ashe is only second to Heimerdinger, and it even possesses more powerful vision utility.

Without Heimerdinger, Ashe is simply the Elysia most favored in Beryl's mind!

Therefore.

Unless EDG gives up on restricting the bottom lane and hands the opponent the lane-priority system they want most.

Otherwise, the only solution is to ban both!

The problem is, the red side theoretically only has one free ban slot; it is impossible to ban both—this is also why if you look closely at DRX's first round of bans, you will find that they are deliberately not banning those meta-strong heroes!

This is also a reflection of Beryl's determination in this game.

However, what surprised him was... he didn't expect that when EDG played against him, they would actually not ban Yuumi either!

Thanks to Yuumi's nearly 100% ban rate.

All teams playing against DRX previously would ban Yuumi, without exception.

DRX had never shown any sign of "not liking" Yuumi anywhere... yet it was precisely tested out by Ye Bo!

And more importantly, because EDG's double bans were given to the support, neither side's bans were very aggressive.

This led to quite a few meta heroes being released.

The red side's picks and bans in this game, on the contrary, seemed not to have much of a disadvantage.

"DRX decisively chooses to first-pick Aatrox!" the Roaring Emperor shouted hoarsely: "Kingen's Aatrox! The Aatrox who performed miracles in the semifinals!"

"Although EDG immediately countered by grabbing Sylas and Sejuani, I think trading for this Aatrox is worth it!"

Releasing Aatrox was also a helpless move for EDG.

The red side's pick-and-ban restrictions in the current meta are ultimately unavoidable.

Even though along the way, Ye Bo had unintentionally helped the team overcome many difficulties, such as successfully "creating" and forcing out the bans for Maokai and Azir in the quarterfinals, and even using this Yuumi pick to break the "heavenly trap" set by the opponent.

But three fulcrums.

When on the blue side, EDG could still manage both.

But once they arrived on the red side, to restrict a team like DRX with a fully expanded hero pool, they inevitably had to make trade-offs in the picks and bans; they had to abandon one of the top or bottom lanes!

And because Flandre had spent a lot of time practicing Yone, obviously, abandoning the top lane was a relatively more reasonable choice.

However, immediately after.

After DRX grabbed Varus, the hero that lit up in the third slot... also exceeded Ye Bo's expectations!

At the same time, it exceeded the expectations of everyone present!

"Yone?!" Wawa widened his eyes in surprise.

"Aatrox is already out, and since Kingen shouldn't be using Yone, this must be Zeka's Yone!"

Miller vaguely recalled: "I seem to remember that Zeka used Yone once in the very, very early play-in stage when playing against the wildcard region..."

"In that case, it's equivalent to DRX self-banning the Yone that counters Aatrox?!"

Ye Bo knew that Zeka's hero pool had no weaknesses; Ahri, LeBlanc, Viktor, and Azir had all performed well previously, but only Sylas and Akali were the most eye-catching.

He also knew that the opponent had played one game of Yone before.

But Ye Bo really didn't expect that in this pick, the opponent would dare to choose mid-lane Yone!

One reason is that he checked Zeka's stats for the entire year of '22, and he had only played this one game of mid-lane Yone; his proficiency definitely couldn't compare to his other heroes—especially when he had been solo-killed three times in the previous game.

The second reason is that Sejuani, the golden partner, had already been grabbed by EDG.

It can only be said that this was indeed an extremely confident choice.

But the intention was already incomparably obvious.

The appearance of this Yone, plus the fact that DRX used their third ban in the first round to ban Fiora, was clearly premeditated!

Everything, including knowing that if you release Sylas, you will inevitably pick it, and since "mid-lane Yone" is relatively good at dealing with that hero in the laning phase, it was all paving the way for the top lane, clearing away all obstacles!

With two bans and one pick, there were no heroes left outside the game that could easily handle Aatrox!

Since there was no better choice, EDG chose to take Sivir first, used as a signature choice to deal with Varus, which the opponent would almost certainly ban in the second round.

Entering the second round of bans—

DRX: Jax, Renekton

EDG: Karma, Renata Glasc

"EDG has pressed down both of the two supports that best fit Varus! And DRX has banned Jax, who slightly counters the composition, plus Renekton, who can still deal with Aatrox..."

"The picks and bans of both sides in this game are clearly aiming at each other's top and bottom lanes, bombarding them crazily!"

"EDG picks Yuumi in the fourth slot! Sivir with Yuumi, the golden partner!"

"As of now, EDG's composition on the red side in this game is unexpectedly quite good! The only problem is, what will be picked for the top lane now to deal with Aatrox?"

Although two supports had been locked out, Beryl was determined to take lane priority in this game, stubbornly picking Lux, which is actually somewhat countered by the {Magic Shield} + {Heal} of Sivir + Yuumi.

Finally, they gave the jungler his signature Viego, locking in the lineup.

And there were really not many options left for EDG's fifth-pick top lane.

Facing Aatrox in this patch, common sense dictates you cannot pick a tank, otherwise, you just wait to be spun like a top by the opponent throughout the entire game.

As for the remaining few fighter heroes of this patch.

Jayce, Camille, Gnar, and Gangplank are all not very easy to play against Aatrox!

In the end, EDG selected Camille to build a dive-heavy composition.

Both sides' lineups were confirmed.

《Blue Side: DRX || Red Side: EDG》

【Top: Aatrox vs Camille】

【Jungle: Viego vs Sejuani】

【Mid: Yone vs Sylas】

【ADC: Varus vs Sivir】

【Support: Lux vs Yuumi】

As soon as the lineup was confirmed, Ye Bo hurriedly attended to important business——————picking a skin!

Because this match was very likely the "Promotion Battle" his Sylas had been building up to for a long time, such a ritualistic event definitely had to be handled well~

After much hesitation, he still chose the initial plan.

Settling on Sylas's release skin, 【Soulstealer】.

Unexpectedly.

【Skin Easter Egg for this match triggered!】

【Soulstealer: Every debt has a debtor!】

【Mission Hint: Kill 《Lux》 in this match; upon reaching 1/3/5 kills, accumulate and obtain mission rewards of different tiers】

【Kill/1: Gain favor with all heroes from the 《Demacia》 city-state, training speed increased!】

【Kill/3: Obtain 5-level mastery for 3 random heroes from the 《Demacia》 city-state!】

【Kill/5: Obtain 5-level mastery for all heroes from the 《Demacia》 city-state!】

「o. ?

The coaches from both sides prepared to walk off the stage.

Before leaving, Maokai and Mingkai walked behind their respective team members, cheering them on one by one.

「Everyone, do your best, brothers!! Mingkai said, blood rushing to his head, his face turning red: 「As long as we take this red-beats-blue game, victory is right before our eyes!

「Don't worry, Manager! Jiejie patted his chest: 「This game I'm going straight to ride your pig! Watch me stun that Alpaca!

「You brat Zhao Lijie, try breaking your sentences like that again.

Mingkai cast a death glare with a side-eye.

「Good luck, good luck! The bot lane duo raised their voices in unison with tacit understanding.

「Aiyoh, Manager, you can rest assured, we'll definitely make it! Ye Bo said, full of confidence as if he'd been injected with adrenaline: 「Just wait for the good news backstage, that's all!

However, at this moment, the sharp-minded Ye Bo suddenly noticed Li Xuanjun wasn't speaking.

He turned his head to look.

The other was holding his breath and focusing, taking deep breaths while performing a somewhat comical "ritual" posture.

「What's the meaning of this, Flandre, are you summoning a god?

Li Xuanjun was stunned for a moment upon hearing this.

Then he turned his head and nodded solemnly: 「It really is, buddy, I'm summoning you. If I can summon that Camille performance from your quarterfinals match, this game is in the bag!

「Aiya, your timing for summoning is wrong, I'm currently occupying the line~~」

Ye Bo raised his eyebrows and flicked his hands expressively.

「But you can summon my alt account; actually, I have an alt called Old Man Bo, he's also quite fierce!

「Hey, you should've said so earlier, I'm redialing immediately!

Li Xuanjun, who was clearly a bit nervous, was amused by Ye Bo's witty banter and started "joking" along.

Of course.

He didn't know that the other party might not actually be joking.

But regardless, the effect was quite significant.

Everyone's fighting spirit was pushed to the limit at this moment.

The desire to win was instantly ignited by the deafening cheers from the venue, which even the white noise couldn't fully mask, turning into five blazing suns burning deep in their hearts!

On the other side.

The DRX members were also cheering each other on, rebuilding their confidence; thinking of the journey they had traveled to get here, their morale was instantly boosted to the peak!

Summoner's Rift descended.

Ten people stepped into the canyon!

(End of chapter)