Bang! Bang! Bang!
Several thunderous explosions rang out as the massive spotlights surrounding the main stage blazed to life all at once. The deafening cheers and screams from the audience shot straight into the sky!
“PNG——!”
“One push! One push——!”
The commentator's voice was already breaking with emotion. “PNG!!”
0%!
UG's Nexus exploded with a tremendous crash!
The game screen froze instantly. The enormous word VICTORY appeared across the display, and the match timer was forever locked at 29 minutes and 58 seconds!!
Every giant screen in the arena displayed the result simultaneously. Behind the bold lettering fluttered PNG's team banner in all its glory.
[PNG 3:1 UG]
The next second, every screen was overtaken by a soaring phoenix spreading its wings!
At that moment, no matter where one stood in the venue, the words on the screen were impossible to miss—
[Season 6 World Championship]
[Winner — Phoenix Nirvana Gaming!]
The phoenix lifted its noble head and soared over the bustling Champs-lyses, its feathers sweeping past the beautiful Louvre, stirring ripples across the waters of the Seine—
The brilliant flames trailing behind it painted the evening sky crimson, drawing gasps and admiration from countless onlookers!
At last, the divine bird arrived at the heart of Paris, perching proudly above the Eiffel Tower!
It let out a long, resonant cry, its narrow phoenix eyes surveying the world below with regal disdain.
The tower's peak was too low to serve as its perch. The place it belonged was only the summit above all summits, the heavens above the clouds, the crimson sky beyond anyone's reach—
“The phoenix spreads its wings and claims the crown at the peak of all peaks——!”
Chao Mi screamed at the top of his lungs. “We! Are! The! Champions——!!”
“World Champions——!!”
“AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!”
Wei Ye roared as he flung off his headset and leapt out of his chair. “Holy shit, champions——!”
“AHHHHHH, brothers! AHHHHHH!!”
Sui Ning couldn't help smiling as well. The moment he stood up, Ji Yunyu swept him into a tight embrace!
Before he could say anything, the ecstatic Ji Yunyu actually lifted him straight off the ground and spun him around in circles!
Babbling incoherently, he shouted, “AHHHHHHH!! Ningning, baobao, we're champions——!”
The referee was horrified. “Players, please refrain from dangerous actions!!”
What kind of spinning was this? Did he think they were filming a romance drama?? Was he trying to throw Feng-bao off the stage?!
Sui Ning froze for a moment. Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around Ji Yunyu's shoulders. He wanted to say something, but seeing how ridiculous Ji Yunyu looked, he ended up laughing too.
“Yes.”
Looking down at the man holding him high in the air, Sui Ning said softly, his voice filled with warmth and joy, “We won the championship together, Xiao Yunduo.”
Ji Yunyu smiled too. After setting him back down, he secretly leaned in and kissed away the tear at the corner of Sui Ning's eye while he wasn't paying attention.
Sui Ning blinked in surprise. Only then did he realize that he had been crying too.
“This is our world-champion mid-jungle duo, Wind and Cloud!!”
Da Ju was practically sobbing, wiping away tears of relief. “They're so close! No wonder their coordination on stage is unbelievable!”
“PNG's training atmosphere must be incredible. Only a team united with one heart and one purpose can lift the championship trophy!!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Chen Chen came sprinting out from backstage with a crazed expression, like an ecstatic husky that had slipped its leash, charging straight into the PNG players!
Ji Yunyu refused to let go of Sui Ning. Lin Zhaoxu was so happy he'd gone completely insane and simply wrapped both of them in a hug!
Seeing this, Wei Ye launched himself onto the three of them. Chen Chen danced his way into the pile with manic excitement, dragging the perpetually cool Cheng Su along for the ride!
The five of them shamelessly turned the celebration into a giant human pile-up as the cheers in the arena shook the heavens!!
Bang! Bang!
More explosions sounded as dazzling fireworks erupted from both sides of the stage. Streams of golden ribbons shot from ceremonial cannons one after another!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Dreamlike golden streamers intertwined with rising white mist, soaring into the sky before slowly drifting down into Sui Ning's hair. Like an endless rain, they bathed the entire stage in the color of victory—gold.
“PNG! PNG——!!”
“PNG——!!”
“Golden rain is falling across the arena!!”
Through tear-filled eyes, Chao Mi's voice turned hoarse. “We've waited for this golden rain for far too long—far too long, far too long!!”
“1,826 days!!”
“Before the tournament, nobody could have imagined it! A young team that wasn't favored by anyone has actually toppled UG's three-championship dynasty!”
“In this Grand Finals BO5, our first seed, PNG, quickly adjusted after their brief setback in Game 1!”
“In Game 2, they drafted the inspired pick of Astromancer Prophet. In Game 3, they completed a comeback despite having their champions countered!”
Chao Mi enunciated every word. “In every game, PNG showed us their resilience and determination. In every game, PNG made audiences around the world see them in a new light!”
“Even on the Finals stage, they never stopped improving, never stopped climbing, never stopped growing stronger!”
“Game 4—the match point game—was the direct clash between the dark horse PNG and the defending champions UG, two championship-caliber teams!”
“AAAAAAAHHHHH——!!”
“Aeria——!”
The moment Game 4 was mentioned, an astonishing roar erupted from the crowd. For the first time, the name of a single champion was being shouted by the audience with such solemn reverence.
Even Chao Mi's eyes reddened. Smiling faintly, he said, “That's right. I never expected we'd actually get Aeria in Game 4 either—our Goddess of Victory——”
“Winnnnnd——!!”
“Wind! Wind——!”
“In Game 4, facing UG—the former world number one and a king that had intimidated countless teams before the match even began—PNG at one point built a significant lead, while Wind repeatedly outplayed the opposition through sheer skill alone!”
“Time and again, PNG found themselves in situations so difficult that even the commentators and coaches thought they were nearly impossible to overcome. And yet, just like every time before, PNG refused to yield in adversity and never stopped fighting for victory!”
Chao Mi paused for a moment. Then, with tears in his eyes, he declared: “Perhaps this is exactly what Chinese esports wants the world to see today!”
They wanted the whole world to see that our region has countless outstanding players as well.
Their skill, determination, and character are second to none. They are every bit as capable as players from any other country of claiming the most glorious crown in professional competition.
They wanted the whole world to see the esports spirit that China takes pride in.
The teachings of our ancestors: never give up, turn the tide against overwhelming odds; as long as life endures, the struggle never ends.
The ideal dream-chaser he had always envisioned— He had truly seen one on the competitive stage.
"...I'm very happy that PNG was able to introduce themselves to the world through the very best version of who they are—and, in doing so, introduce us as well."
As he finished speaking, Chao Mi suddenly found himself unable to control his tears. Turning away from the camera, he fell silent.
Beside him, Qing Ci patted him on the shoulder and continued in a trembling voice: "That's right. We don't have to wait for next year anymore. This year is the year our dream came true!"
"Today! Right now! This very moment!"
"After five long years, the HPL has finally stepped onto the World Championship podium!"
"A team from China has finally reached the summit of War of Glory's professional scene!"
"Five years of waiting—and at last, the day of harvest has arrived!"
Today was destined to become a part of HPL history.
"Summoners around the world—"
The commentator took a deep breath, straightened his suit, and spoke with solemn dignity: "Please allow me to formally introduce this team from the HPL!"
"The World Champions of the Season 6 World Finals—"
PNG!!
The commentators didn't even need to reveal the answer. Already in tears, the audience shouted the name at the top of their lungs.
PNG!!
Viewers watching the livestream had long since become emotional wrecks themselves.
On the main stage, a spotlight descended from above, illuminating the championship trophy in crystal-clear detail.
Surrounded by his teammates like the moon among stars, Sui Ning stood at the center. Egged on by the others, he raised the trophy high above his head with all his strength.
A silver gleam swept overhead. Instinctively, Sui Ning lifted his gaze. The inscription shining on the trophy's base came fully into view.
“World Champion”
Not an internet caf tournament. Not a school tournament, provincial tournament, or national tournament—
At this moment, in another world, he had truly climbed to the pinnacle of professional competition once again.
For a brief instant, Sui Ning felt dazed. The nearly identical scenes from two lifetimes overlapped before his eyes, making it hard to tell whether this was a dream or reality.
Yet the thunderous cheers and cries ringing in his ears reminded him over and over: This was reality.
In a moment of distraction, he seemed to lock eyes with someone in the audience.
But before he could make out who it was, the strange sensation vanished.
Golden rain drifted down from above. The image of Sui Ning and his teammates lifting the trophy together was forever captured by the photographers.
On the other side of the stage, after hurried handshakes, UG silently packed up their equipment and prepared to leave.
Unable to help himself, Choi Hyun-woo turned back one last time, reluctant to look away from the stage. But the magnificent curtain of golden rain obscured his view, leaving the championship platform a blur.
He tried looking farther into the distance. His gaze landed on the champion poster behind the players' booths.
Above Sui Ning's seat, the beautiful eyes of Aeria, the Stellar Sprite, reflected the dazzling laurel-gold glow of victory.
Choi Hyun-woo paused. A complicated expression appeared on his face.
At that moment, a comment slowly appeared in the livestream chat:
[What is False thinking about right now?]
[No idea. What I want to know is—]
[From now on, will even gods fear shooting stars?]
[I think so.]
Suddenly, a breeze seemed to sweep through the arena from nowhere.
Sui Ning snapped back to reality and heard the host and commentators shouting in unison: "Let's congratulate the FMVP of the World Finals—"
"Winnnnnd——!"
"Wind! Wind——!!"
"Winnnnd——!"
The official presenter, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, stepped onto the stage. Smiling, he approached Sui Ning and respectfully presented the crystal-clear FMVP trophy with both hands.
PNG_Wind, FMVP.
Lowering his eyes, Sui Ning stared at the crystal trophy engraved with his name for a long time.
"Without controversy. Completely deserved. Summoners, did you see it?"
Taking a deep breath, Chao Mi said with heartfelt emotion: "Today—"
"The wind has risen over Summoner's Rift."
[The wind has risen over the Rift.]
[The wind carries a message—we are World Champions.]
[Feng-bao, you really did it.]
[Diamond Walnut, my five-yuan God of War, every boast you ever made came true.]
[Hello, S6. Hello, my FMVP.]
Sui Ning remained silent for a long while. Then he lifted his head. Holding the trophy in his arms, he stood beside his teammates and looked toward the audience with a faint smile.
At that moment, countless stars shone before him. And every single one of them was reflected in his eyes alone.
----------
No comments:
Post a Comment