IRAJAS Chapter 111

Thus, KIG locks in Mordekaiser, forcing DT to use Gragas as a jungler. The challenge now returns to DT.

In just this brief exchange, everyone in the livestream felt the undercurrents of the intense battle between DT and KIG. The back-and-forth between the two sides was so thrilling that even the commentators exclaimed, “Exciting, exciting!”

Both teams entered the second ban phase. KIG’s Mordekaiser posed a significant threat to DT. His ultimate could drag an enemy into the Realm of Death, instantly putting the opposing team at a disadvantage.

If Lin Lan played an assassin, he would be inevitably caught by Mordekaiser’s ultimate once he engaged.

If Lin Lan played a mage, then Xu Shengwei’s Lucian would be severely countered by Mordekaiser.

This was indeed a tough situation…

Both sides banned heroes unfavorable to themselves. When it was KIG’s turn to pick, they chose Syndra for the mid-lane.

With this, KIG’s lineup became clear.

They planned to play defensively in the bot lane until the teamfights, use the top lane as a utility, and have the mid lane provide additional damage, keeping the last pick for the jungle to counter DT’s composition.

“Their decision-making is so comprehensive,” Jiang Jin couldn’t help but admit. “This is a true team, where everyone has their role, yet they can seamlessly coordinate in team fights.”

In this regard, DT indeed has some shortcomings. The last time they played against KIG, they were all scolded afterward…

No one dared to make a sound. Even Lin Lan, who was usually the most outspoken, kept his mouth shut. They expected Shi Quan to take the opportunity to scold them again, but unexpectedly, Shi Quan calmly said, “Your individual skills are far superior to theirs. Use your strengths to defeat them. Don’t go head-to-head with their strengths. Lin Lan, you take Fizz. Jiang Xu, you take Camille.”

This lineup decision excited all five players. The bot lane featured the Lucian-Nami duo, the mid lane had a burst assassin, the top lane had a coordination master, and the jungle had Gragas, who could gank all lanes. This composition was extremely aggressive from all three lanes, especially in the early to mid-game, where they were virtually unbeatable!

They had thought Shi Quan would force them to play a team fight composition against KIG like last time, but this sudden morale boost was unexpected.

“Coach Shi, how did you suddenly come to this realization?”

“What do you mean, ‘I finally came to this realization’? I’ve always thought this way. In the regular season, you can afford to lose and practice different compositions, but in the playoffs, I want you to win,” Shi Quan adjusted his glasses, a certain ambitious glint hidden behind the gentle look in his eyes, “and win decisively.”

Morale is equally important for a team.

As soon as this lineup was picked, the fans had a premonition of how overwhelmingly DT would play. Every hero they chose had exceptionally aggressive offensive capabilities.

If KIG’s lineup was like a shield, then DT’s lineup was akin to a bayonet—no, it was like many bayonets, made even sharper and more fearsome by DT’s superior individual skills.

Seeing DT’s lineup, KIG also felt a bit intimidated. If DT didn’t play for the late game, KIG’s chances of winning would significantly decrease.

“Pick Lee Sin for the jungle to help us get through the early game.”

“Everyone, stay steady. If we make it through the early game, we have a chance to win in the late game.”

“We’re the only team that has beaten DT this summer season. Believe in ourselves.”

Tensions were high, with both sides poised for an intense showdown. On one side, it was a battle for revenge; on the other, it was a fight to defend their honor. Losing this match would mean the end of their summer season journey.

As the game began, both teams cautiously took their positions in the lanes.

With the immense confidence Shi Quan had given DT, Xiao Shengjing’s decisions became much bolder. After quickly reaching level 3, he went straight to the mid lane, forcing out Syndra’s Flash and establishing an early advantage for Lin Lan.

Immediately after, Xiao Shengjing went to the enemy jungle to place a ward. Once the ward was placed, he quickly moved to the top lane to assist Jiang Xu’s Camille, forcing the enemy top laner to use Flash.

DT’s laning prowess was indeed exceptional, significantly increasing the success rate of Xiao Shengjing’s ganks.

This fast-paced ganking strategy overwhelmed KIG, making them realize the considerable skill gap between the teams. They could only play with extreme caution, seeking any space to survive.

However, it seemed as if the five members of DT were on a stimulant, their playstyle becoming exceptionally aggressive.

The highlight came when Xiao Shengjing reached level 6. He went to the mid lane and, the moment he used his ultimate, Syndra used Flash to dodge it and escape.

In theory, common sense dictates that you shouldn’t force a kill after the enemy has used Flash, as it could lead to negative consequences.

But clearly, Xiao Shengjing and Lin Lan had no intention of following this convention.

They aggressively pursued Syndra under the tower, taking turns tanking the turret, and managed to kill the fragile Syndra under the tower, with the kill going to Lin Lan.

Their operations reached a pinnacle, with an almost insane level of precision in controlling their health. They managed to kill Syndra within a very narrow window of time and escaped safely with just the right amount of health.

Syndra, back at the fountain, was in shock.

How could there be such a crazily coordinated play? She had already used Flash to narrowly dodge Gragas’ ultimate, yet they still forced the play? Who was commanding this? How could the other player follow through so decisively?

The question that left Syndra puzzled was simple for Xiao Shengjing and Lin Lan.

When Syndra narrowly dodged the ultimate, Lin Lan said, “I can follow”. Xiao Shengjing then flashed without hesitation to continue the control.

After all, if his wife said he could follow, it meant he could follow with 200% certainty.

When they secured that first blood, the audience started screaming. By this point in the match, it was clear to everyone that KIG’s defense was nearly flawless, making it almost impossible for DT to find an opening.

Yet, under these circumstances, Xiao Shengjing and Lin Lan still managed to pierce through their defense like a sharp knife.

Securing that first blood invigorated their teammates to varying degrees, who then relentlessly exploited that opening.

Due to the mid-lane disadvantage, the jungle also began to suffer, and the economic disparity quickly started to widen.

Jiang Xu remained calm even when the enemy jungler ganked him, as Xiao Shengjing was lying in wait to counter-gank. Jiang Xu initiated with his ultimate, baiting the enemy jungler into revealing himself. Xiao Shengjing then used his ultimate, scattering them. Jiang Xu immediately followed up with crowd control, targeting the enemy Mordekaiser. A devastating burst of damage left the opponent critically wounded.

As Mordekaiser was dying, he dragged Camille into the Death Realm. However, even inside, he couldn’t defeat Camille and was only trying to buy time for his jungler to escape.

But just as Mordekaiser clung to the last second of life and fell, he saw his jungler being slain as well.

Lin Lan had arrived!

His support was faster, and with a quick leap, he secured the kill on their Lee Sin.

Meanwhile, disaster struck KIG’s bot lane. Due to a positioning mistake by Sivir, Xu Shengwei seized the opportunity, launching a full combo that, with the help of his ultimate, took Sivir down. Yuumi, detached from her partner, barely managed to escape.

At this point, DT had shattered KIG’s solid defense, leaving their rhythm in tatters beyond repair.

The commentators, witnessing this, understood: “KIG can’t hold on anymore. They held up well early on, but after Kiner secured first blood, their rhythm was clearly disrupted.”

Such an extreme kill exerted not only economic pressure but also psychological pressure.

As the warrior who tore open the first breach, Lin Lan was playing exceptionally well. He used Playful/Trickster to dodge Syndra’s EQ combo, then followed up with an E-Flash, landing and disorienting Syndra. He quickly used his ultimate, followed by Q and W, effortlessly taking down the half-health Syndra.

The enemy jungler flashed and used E, aiming to take down Lin Lan. But before he could land, he was blasted back by Xiao Shengjing’s expertly placed Explosive Cask.

Lee Sin: ???

What kind of prediction was that?

The commentator exclaimed, “Wow!” in disbelief. “How did Gragas land that ultimate? Did he throw it the moment the enemy showed up? This is incredible!”

They couldn’t think of any other explanation. In fact, that was exactly what happened.

Xiao Shengjing anticipated the enemy’s arrival slightly earlier than his own. Seeing Lin Lan’s low health, he didn’t hesitate to use his ultimate, throwing it directly on Lin Lan to save his life, coincidentally knocking Lee Sin back in the process.

There was a bit of luck involved in that play, but the spectacular result left Lin Lan stunned for a long time. Feeling curious, he asked, “How did you predict that?”

Xiao Shengjing replied, “Instinct.”

It was simply an instinct that arose from seeing Lin Lan’s low health.

This response left Lin Lan bewildered. He kept replaying the incident in his mind, increasingly convinced it was beyond his understanding. He persistently asked, “Did you see him start the E ability? Did you read his positioning? Did you predict he was going to make a move?”

Xiao Shengjing hadn’t seen it. Lee Sin’s actions were too quick. He didn’t see anything; it was just an instinctive reaction born from concern for Lin Lan at that moment.

However, he couldn’t really explain this instinct.

Without getting a satisfactory answer, Lin Lan’s competitive spirit was ignited instead.

To be honest, he hadn’t played Gragas much, and he wasn’t a jungler. But he knew he couldn’t have pulled off that play.

Damn it. There’s actually something he can’t do?

But then, Xiao Shengjing continued to prove that he had many more plays Lin Lan couldn’t replicate.

In a team fight at the dragon pit, Lin Lan initiated with his ultimate, landing a perfect hit on the enemy jungler, which should have been a great start.

However, Xiao Shengjing threw his ultimate, which perfectly knocked Syndra into the jaws of Lin Lan’s Chum the Waters, hitting both targets in one go.

The effect displayed on the big screen was stunning: Syndra was knocked into an angle and landed right into the emerging fish’s mouth, forming a bizarre geometric shape.

The commentators went wild seeing this, “Oh my god, a geometry barrel to feed the fish?! DT’s team initiation is epic!”

Lin Lan dashed in, mashing his keys with lightning speed, constantly securing kills. Xu Shengwei followed up with full damage output, Jiang Xu and Jiang Jin held their positions, and Xiao Shengjing continued to chase down the enemies.

This geometry barrel feeding fish play completely shattered KIG’s team fight, extending the gold lead to a terrifying 8000 gold!

After the fight, KIG’s entire team was a bit bewildered.

They considered themselves a strong team—they had beaten IB, FO, and even DT before.

But under DT’s relentless aggression, they found themselves powerless, like fish on a cutting board…

The immense pressure left them feeling suffocated.

Was DT being too aggressive?

In the lounge, Coach Zhang looked at the situation and chuckled, “What did you say to these kids? How come they’re so fierce?”

Shi Quan grinned as he looked at the screen, evidently pleased with the situation. “They’ve been grazing for too long. Occasionally feasting on meat can be quite ferocious.”

In the final team fight, which was also Lin Lan’s strongest moment, he simply landed a QW combo plus his E ability, nearly melting Syndra on the spot.

Then, Xiao Shengjing threw another Explosive Cask, sealing the game in despair.

While KIG’s lineup had no margin for error, they couldn’t withstand the massive economic disparity and ultimately fell to the opponent’s relentless onslaught.

Aside from physical fatigue, they felt mentally battered as well.

DT in the regular season is a completely different state. Can they really win with this kind of DT?

After the game, Lin Lan glanced at the damage output and was surprised to see that Xiao Shengjing was still quite high.

He took off his headphones, followed behind Xiao Shengjing, and kept thinking about the play from earlier: “Captain, how did you predict that? Can you tell me? What did you base your prediction on? I want to learn…”

Xiao Shengjing shook his head, not intending to tell him at all. Lin Lan kept pestering him, following him and chattering incessantly.

After the commentators congratulated them, they saw this scene and joked, “What is Kiner asking? Is he asking the captain how to use the geometry barrel to feed the fish?”

The barrage instantly changed its tone: [Hahaha. What is Lin Lan doing?]

[He’s learning how to use the geometry barrel from the captain. Hahaha.]

[Hilarious. The geometry barrel feeding fish.]

[I like this CP.]

[The CP is making me laugh until my stomach hurts. Other CPs are quiet and beautiful, but the ShengLan CP: Geometry barrel feeding fish.]

[Laughing to death, folks…]

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