The pressure was unbearable. The lights, the cheers, the roar of the crowd—all of it seemed to blur into one as Tang Rou focused entirely on the battlefield in front of her. The Dragon Knights were faltering, their defenses collapsing under the relentless assault from the Chinese team. But victory was still just out of reach, and Andreas, the captain of the Dragon Knights, wasn't going down without a fight.
"Keep pushing!" Ye Xiu's voice rang through the comms, sharp and clear. "They're on the back foot. Don't let up now!"
Tang Rou's hands flew across the keyboard, her mind in perfect sync with her character as she launched another wave of attacks. The German team was scrambling to hold their formation, but Tang Rou could see the cracks starting to form. They were losing control of the battlefield.
"They're trying to regroup!" Zhang Jiale called out, his voice tight with focus. "We can't let them stabilize."
Tang Rou's eyes narrowed as she saw Andreas pull his team back into a defensive position, desperately trying to regain control of the match. He was disciplined, almost robotic in his leadership, but Tang Rou knew that no amount of precision could save them now. They had already lost too much ground.
"Cut them off!" Ye Xiu commanded. "Tang Rou, go for their supports. If we take them out, they won't be able to recover."
Without hesitation, Tang Rou adjusted her position, her character slipping through the chaos of battle with fluid precision. The German supports had been hanging back, trying to keep their frontline alive, but they were vulnerable now. She could see the fear in their movements—they knew what was coming.
Her fingers moved with blinding speed as she unleashed a barrage of attacks, targeting one of the enemy healers. The support player tried to defend, but Tang Rou's onslaught was too fast, too precise. Within moments, the healer was down.
"One down!" Tang Rou called out, her heart racing with the thrill of the moment.
"Nice work!" Su Mucheng chimed in, her character providing cover fire as the rest of the team pressed forward. "Keep it up!"
Tang Rou didn't need to be told twice. With one support down, the Dragon Knights' ability to sustain their defense was rapidly deteriorating. She moved in for the second healer, her attacks coming fast and relentless. This time, Andreas tried to intervene, his character swooping in to protect his team, but it was too late. Tang Rou had already locked onto her target, and with a few well-timed strikes, the second healer fell.
"They're falling apart!" Zhang Jiale shouted, excitement bubbling through the comms. "We've got this!"
Tang Rou's pulse raced as she watched the Dragon Knights' formation crumble. Andreas was still trying to rally his team, but without their supports, they were fighting a losing battle. The once impenetrable wall of the Dragon Knights was in ruins, and the Chinese team was tearing through their defenses.
"Push now!" Ye Xiu ordered. "This is the endgame!"
The entire team surged forward, their characters moving with deadly precision as they capitalized on the opening. Andreas and his remaining teammates fought valiantly, but it was clear that the tide had turned. Their defense was shattered, their formation in disarray. The Chinese team was in control now, and there was no stopping them.
Tang Rou's hands moved with practiced ease, her character dancing across the battlefield as she delivered the final blows. Each strike felt like a step closer to victory, the tension in her chest slowly giving way to exhilaration. They had done it. They had broken the unbreakable wall.
And then, with one final, coordinated attack, it was over.
Victory.
The word flashed across the screen, and for a moment, the arena was silent. But then the crowd erupted into cheers, the deafening roar of thousands of voices filling the air. Tang Rou leaned back in her chair, her heart pounding in her chest as the adrenaline of the match began to fade. They had done it. They had beaten the Dragon Knights.
Her teammates let out shouts of triumph, the tension from the match breaking as they celebrated the hard-fought victory. Zhang Jiale punched the air, grinning from ear to ear, while Bao Rongxing leaned back in his chair with a sigh of relief.
"That was intense," Bao Rongxing said, running a hand through his hair. "I didn't think we'd make it out of that one."
Su Mucheng laughed, her voice light with the joy of victory. "We did it, though. We broke their wall."
Tang Rou smiled, feeling the weight of the match lift off her shoulders. It had been close—too close at times—but they had pulled through. The Dragon Knights were one of the toughest teams in the tournament, but now they were just another defeated opponent.
Ye Xiu stood up from his seat, his usual calm smile on his face. "Good work, everyone. We played it smart, and it paid off."
Tang Rou glanced across the stage at the Dragon Knights, who were still seated at their computers. Andreas, the captain, sat motionless, his eyes fixed on the screen. Even in defeat, he was composed, his face betraying no emotion. He had fought hard, but today, it wasn't enough.
As the team began to leave the stage, Tang Rou lingered for a moment, watching Andreas. She felt a strange mix of admiration and empathy for him. He had been a formidable opponent, leading his team with precision and discipline, but in the end, even he couldn't withstand the storm they had unleashed.
Their eyes met for a brief second, and Andreas gave her a small, almost imperceptible nod. Tang Rou returned the gesture, understanding passing between them. It was the kind of respect that only came from fighting on opposite sides of a hard-fought battle.
With that, Tang Rou turned and followed her team off the stage, the roar of the crowd still ringing in her ears. They had made it to the finals. But there was no time to rest on their laurels. The final match—the one that would decide the World Invitational champion—was still ahead of them.
Back in the locker room, the atmosphere was electric. The team was riding the high of their victory, but Tang Rou knew that the real challenge was yet to come. They had defeated the Dragon Knights, but their toughest opponent was still waiting.
Ye Xiu, ever the strategist, had already begun planning for the final. He stood at the center of the room, his arms crossed as he addressed the team.
"Enjoy the win," he said, his voice firm but encouraging. "But don't get too comfortable. The finals are going to be on a whole different level."
Zhang Jiale let out a low whistle. "Who do you think we'll be facing?"
Ye Xiu's eyes darkened slightly. "Starlight."
The room went quiet. Tang Rou felt her heart skip a beat at the mention of the dark horse team that had taken the tournament by storm. Starlight, led by the mysterious captain, Shade. The team they had already defeated once, but who had only grown stronger as the tournament progressed.
Tang Rou's mind raced, memories of her last match with Shade flashing through her mind. Their rivalry had been reignited during the quarterfinals, and now it seemed fate was determined to give them a rematch on the biggest stage of all.
"We know how they play," Ye Xiu continued, his gaze sweeping over the team. "They're adaptable, fast, and aggressive. But we've beaten them before, and we can do it again. The key is staying unpredictable. They're going to come at us harder than before, so we need to be ready for anything."
Tang Rou nodded, her hands tightening into fists. She knew what Shade was capable of, but she also knew that she had grown since their last encounter. The thought of facing him again in the finals sent a surge of adrenaline through her veins. This was it—the final test.
As the team dispersed to rest and prepare, Tang Rou lingered by her locker, her mind still focused on the upcoming match. The road to the finals had been long and grueling, but now they were on the cusp of victory. One more match. One more battle.
But it wasn't just any battle. It was the culmination of everything she had worked for, everything she had fought for. And standing between her and the championship was Shade, the rival who had haunted her thoughts for so long.
The tension in her chest tightened, but it wasn't fear. It was determination. She wasn't going to let Shade stand in her way again. This time, she would prove that she had surpassed him.
With a deep breath, Tang Rou stood up, her resolve clear. The finals were waiting, and she would be ready.
The day before the finals passed quickly, a blur of preparation and strategy meetings. Tang Rou and her teammates spent hours reviewing Starlight's matches, analyzing every detail, every possible weakness. Shade's team had been nearly flawless in their journey to the finals, but Tang Rou knew that no team was invincible.
As the night fell, the team gathered one last time to finalize their strategy. Ye Xiu's voice was calm but serious as he laid out the plan for the final match. Tang Rou listened carefully, her focus sharper than ever. Every move, every decision would be crucial. There would be no room for error.
When the meeting was over, the team headed back to their hotel rooms, the weight of the upcoming battle hanging over them. Tang Rou could feel the pressure building, but she welcomed it. This was what she had trained for—what she had dreamed of.
As she lay in bed that night, staring up at the ceiling, her mind replay