You call this thing stable?

[V5's AK eliminated TES's JKL]

[Double Kill!]

[Gleeful Pleasure**, triggered for the third time!

Only now, the only soul left for him to reap was the entangled Viego.

The scene was already in an uproar.

The audience stared at Summoner's Rift, at the riverbed littered with corpses. No one expected that in this team fight, which they thought would be the fuse for V5's defeat, it would be V5's Jinx who would have the last laugh.

From Gwen's Teleport, to Trundle's pillar locking them down, to Thresh's hooking control, to Azir's valiant sacrifice, and finally to Jinx, who fought her way from the bottom river to the top lane in a desperate situation, this play by V5 brought people too much shock!

Were they watching the Spring Finals?

Chapter 53: General and Commander

"AK is in! AK is cleaning up!!!"

"At the very last moment of the team fight, AK, he stepped up!"

The casters, stunned by the scene, didn't know what else to say. The moment Jinx charged forward, they instinctively blurted out a phrase they often used to hype up plays. By the time they reacted, it was already over.

[Is this the Demacia Cup?]

[The casters aren't even pretending anymore, directly copying God's exclusive catchphrase?]

[It's just ridiculous, they can still turn this around?]

[No way, are they really going to let V5 end it right here?]

The atmosphere in the entire stadium had become completely heated. Riding this momentum, V5, after wiping out TES, chose to push directly from the top lane. Due to TES's previous feint, they had deliberately not cleared the minion wave pushed by V5 from the top lane. Now, this minion wave had become their death knell.

V5 began their push.

At the nearly 30-minute mark, the respawn time was a full 50 seconds. With Azir and Jinx, their two main damage dealers, still alive, their tower-taking speed was incredibly fast.

Could they take it down?

Could they end the game right now?

Countless viewers craned their necks, anticipating a miracle.

Leona, who died first, posed no threat. Kennen, who died second, still had over thirty seconds until respawn. They watched helplessly as V5's dual carries pushed through, from the high ground tower—to the high ground inhibitors—to the main nexus defense tower—and finally to the main nexus.

To protect the minions and prevent the towers from activating their defensive mechanisms, PPGOD even entered the towers' defensive range before the minion wave, tanking the tower shots with his own body.

By the time the final auto-attack shattered TES's main nexus, TES's top laner Kennen had just barely managed to dash out of the fountain with his E skill.

It was all too late.

2:1

V5, taking the match point first!

When the word "Victory" appeared on the big screen for the five V5 players, Luo Zhen and the others first stared at the screen, then, as if realizing it belatedly, they started waving their hands and laughing out loud. The group acted like madmen, laughing wildly.

For them, the joy of victory was important, but more important was the feeling that they had truly sensed each other's presence in that team fight.

I trust you, and you can keep up with me. We won't let each other down. This seems like a simple matter.

But in reality, how many people can achieve such mutual trust?

Looking at the grinning players on the big screen, V5's team leader quietly breathed a sigh of relief. As the newly launched "Pinduoduo Galactic Battleship," V5's entire management team had placed high expectations on them. Even with Coach Homme's guarantee, they had still maintained a cautious attitude. But after today's match, he felt a little more at ease.

"A very good atmosphere, isn't it?" Coach Homme said, staring intently at the big screen, a clear smile in his eyes. "I told you, you can completely trust my judgment. This V5 already has the core to become a Galactic Battleship."

"You mean..."

The team leader's expression was one of disbelief. Even though Luo Zhen's performance in this match was indeed excellent, to so easily establish him as the team's cornerstone seemed too casual. In his opinion, if a cornerstone was to be chosen, it should be a veteran player like Rookie, who consistently performed well.

"Precisely because many people have this idea, you don't see teamwork in every team in the LPL."

From Coach Homme's perspective, a good general and a good commander were two different things.

A good general is not necessarily a good commander. As veteran players, Rookie and Karsa could certainly be considered top warriors in the LPL, but they lacked Luo Zhen's charisma and leadership. In professional play, leadership could be understood as teammates believing in your ability.

A top team doesn't necessarily need the strongest leader, but it must have the strongest cohesion.

Luo Zhen possessed the power to subtly blend his teammates together.

Winning the third game to take match point was undoubtedly a huge blow to TES's morale. In a normal BO5 match, the team that wins the third game after being tied 1-1 has practically won half the battle. EDG's legendary playoff run in the World Championship, with its √××√√ pattern, was a rare event.

But professional matches are so exciting precisely because no one can predict what will happen next.

After a more than ten-minute halftime break, the fourth game.

TES erupted.

If many viewers had followed the Demacia Cup in their past lives, they would definitely not forget a halftime vlog from TES, where Bai Seyueya was seen smiling and giving Xiao Tian his trust. Even after TES lost two consecutive games, he still chose to trust Xiao Tian's Viego instead of substituting him.

In ancient warfare, this would be called the grace of recognition, and it would most likely trigger a continuation skill of "redeeming oneself through meritorious service."

Of course, Xiao Tian alone couldn't have such a significant impact on the situation.

Remember this: the jungler cannot decide the outcome of a game. Many seasoned players on the forums can probably relate to this.

The key point is: the ADC and support duo stepped up.

TES is a rather peculiar team:

The strongest TES: When the "Sailor Combo" is performing well.

The usual TES: The "Sailor Combo" shares a single battery; if one is strong, the other is guaranteed to go invisible, fall behind, or die spectacularly.

The struggling TES: Neither of the "Sailor Combo" is performing, and the jungler is lost in the current meta.

The entire team's core lies with the two carries. If they're strong, TES is invincible; if they're shut down, TES falters. Now, perhaps Coach Bai Seyueya's hypnotic skills are too potent, or maybe the "Sailor Combo" was truly pushed to their limit by V5. At least in the fourth game, both of them managed to shine simultaneously. JKL even brought out his Draven. With Draven on the board, the entire TES team seemed to get a shot of adrenaline, playing in an incredibly aggressive manner.

The cost of the mid, bot, and jungle all stepping up was that Luo Zhen got completely dominated.

In every sense of the word.

He fell behind in lane, was slow to roam, and died instantly in teamfights.

The only good news was that at least he wasn't getting solo-killed or having his tower plates destroyed. He just couldn't match the opponent in CS or trades.

When JKL was in his explosive state, he didn't even need his support to set up plays; he was the one leading his support around the map, putting immense offensive pressure on the bot lane. Rookie and Karsa wanted to help, but they were held back by Xiaotian and Knight, who were also in peak form.

2:2

The match, just as Coach Homme predicted, had gone to a fifth game.

V5's resting room.

After coming off stage, Luo Zhen immediately grabbed a drink and started chugging.

JKL's return to form was more explosive than he had anticipated. However, due to the skill disparity in lane and the high-intensity duels, the constant back-and-forth had taken a toll on his mental state. His eyes felt tired, so he closed them.

Is this the intensity of the LPL? Back in LDL, even after a full five-game series, I'd still be full of energy, but now, just four games feel incredibly draining. As he was lost in thought, Homme approached Luo Zhen again. This time, he held a warm towel, which he gently placed over Luo Zhen's eyes.

"Huh?"

Feeling the warmth on his eyes, Luo Zhen was about to get up but was gently pushed back down by Homme.

"Rest first, don't rush. This is your first high-intensity BO5, your hands and eyes must be under a lot of strain."

"But Coach..."

"Rest for five minutes. The composition and BP for the final game won't matter as much now. Adjusting your state is the most important thing." Homme's voice was calm and steady. As a veteran coach, he knew exactly what his players needed at this moment.

Hearing this, Luo Zhen no longer resisted. He completely relaxed, closed his eyes, and entered a state of light sleep.

He also waved to the others in the room, showing his timer. The team understood and began to close their eyes, joining him in resting.

It wasn't just rookies like Luo Zhen who were heavily drained by the pace; the veteran players also felt their performance decline with age. But at least, for this final game, they needed to ensure their minds were as sharp as possible.

And then...

They would face TES in the final battle!

Chapter 54: The Rest is Up to AK

[Here it comes, the hype song!]

[This year's Demacia Cup has been so exciting! V5 and TES both had explosive games. It's a shame V5's bot lane was a bit lacking.]

[It's good enough, at least they passed the CJB certification and had some famous moments. They really are promising for the future.]

[I'm finding all these "girl-used-only" items on Xianyu, why is V5 able to pick up so many strong team puzzle pieces on Pinduoduo? I'm so jealous!]

[Want one? We traded 16 consecutive losses for it.]

The excitement of the Demacia Cup had exceeded everyone's expectations since the third game, reaching its climax in the fifth. The playstyles of both teams were like the legendary spear and shield.

TES, with their extreme offense, and V5, with their extreme defense, jointly presented a visual feast worthy of a top-tier region.

When Luo Zhen and the others returned to the player seats, even though Homme had said nothing during the break and hadn't made any morale-boosting gestures, inexplicably, the team's mental state had undergone a massive transformation within those few minutes of sleep.

This was like a bug in real life.

Suppose you usually go to work or school and are given two hours of sleep at noon. You might not even sleep, and even if you do, you might not feel rested, waking up still feeling tired.

But!

If, right before you leave the house, you quickly lie down on the sofa for ten or twenty minutes and take a short nap, you'll feel incredibly refreshed upon waking, as if you've been reborn.

I don't understand the principle, but there's definitely a short-term buff like this.

"It's the fifth game, can you guys carry me to victory?" Luo Zhen, his spirits much recovered, had returned to his talkative self. At this moment, he was already fantasizing about the post-game interview.

"What, you're confident this game?" Karsa glanced at Luo Zhen from across Rookie and asked with a smile.

"Absolutely! I admit JKL's explosive performance was strong, but his mistake was exploding in the fourth game. I, on the other hand, haven't exploded yet. Maybe it's my turn to fill my rage bar and unleash my ultimate soon."

Seriously.

After playing a full four games, Luo Zhen had a basic understanding of JKL's strength.

He admitted JKL was strong when he was in his explosive state, but he didn't believe the opponent could maintain that level of explosiveness for two consecutive games. If they could, it would be too outrageous.

Even Boki has a "sage mode" after climaxing. Someone who can fire without cooldown shouldn't be on a professional LoL stage; they should go to Japan to be a "juice man." Isn't that more satisfying than being a pro player?

"Alright, just don't be the 'chef' again like last game. I suspect you overloaded your brain in the third game, causing your mind to go into overload in the fourth," PPGOD said. He had witnessed his AD's growth in the Demacia Cup, which was indeed pleasing, but the pattern of playing one good game and then slumping the next made him feel a bit exasperated.

"What do you know? The chef is very strong, okay? You know, our country's cooks, Soviet commissars, and American medics are all recognized as the fiercest troops on the battlefield."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I believe you, you little rascal. You're a bad one."

The loss in the fourth game didn't really affect the players' mindset. To be blunt, being able to play a full BO5 with that kind of lineup was already a win for V5. The final game was just about how much more they could earn.

For the last game, TES chose the blue side again.

First round of bans:

TES: Caitlyn, Jhin, Kalista

V5: Aphelios, Jinx, Lee Sin

Bai Seyueya had completely figured out V5's lineup. On the surface, V5 was playing around top, mid, and jungle, but in almost every game V5 won, their bottom lane ADC was causing trouble. Targeting top and jungle so much earlier was useless, so this game, he decided to completely shut down their bottom lane.

This was the advantage of the blue side. He didn't even need to ban many things. He just needed to ban a few version-dominant bottom lane champions in the first few picks, forcing the red side to ban others. Otherwise, if he set up ambushes through the BP, it would lead to a situation where he could first-pick a version T0 bottom lane, while the opponent would only be able to pick a version T2 after their BP.

"Targeting me? Should I feel honored?"

Luo Zhen chuckled and rubbed his head, feeling an inexplicable sense of pride.

Banning three bottom lane champions was almost the greatest respect TES could show a newcomer.

First round of picks:

TES: Viego (first pick), Tristana, Alistar

V5: Lucian, Nami (first and second picks), Xin Zhao

The ADCs from both sides were directly confronting each other head-on. However, TES's side was at a greater disadvantage because the Lucian-Nami combo's initiative lay with Lucian, while Tristana-Alistar's initiative lay with Alistar. As mentioned before, the biggest mistake TES made in the Demacia Cup was Viego's ship breaker Zhuo.

Second round of bans: Sylas, Twisted Fate, Draven, Renekton

In short, nobody gets to play.

No flying allowed, no farming allowed. Both teams' BP in this game was almost entirely focused on laning strength. The coaches from both sides were playing a game of "search and destroy."

In the fourth pick, V5 revealed Azir.