Inside the Roshan pit, Samsung Fabulous continued attacking with complete confidence.
Roshan's health was already low. IronWolf's Sven stood closest to the monster, attacking under God's Strength while WhitePriest's Chen controlled several neutral creeps around the pit. BackStone's Bristleback guarded the entrance, ready to absorb any desperate counterattack, while DeepFang's Slardar positioned near the front to stun whoever entered first.
MoonSeer's Invoker remained farther behind.
He understood the danger.
AKAI KUMA had Tidehunter, Clockwerk, Crystal Maiden, Anti-Mage, and Raijin Thunderkeg. If the Japanese team entered carelessly, Samsung Fabulous could destroy them. But if Tidehunter reached the centre and landed a perfect Ravage, the entire fight could change instantly.
That was why Invoker and Chen deliberately kept their distance from Sven and the front line. They expected Tidehunter's Blink Dagger. They expected AKAI KUMA's final attempt.
Inside the Japanese booth, Rikiya stared at the pit and spoke calmly. "Iwataro, Invoker. Koichi, stay behind me. Keisuke, Slardar first if he commits. Tomoyasu…"
He paused briefly.
Tomoyasu already understood.
"…Wait," Rikiya finished.
Tomoyasu nodded once. "Okay."
Koichi swallowed nervously. "W-We really only have one chance…"
Iwataro adjusted his hand on the mouse. His usual lazy smile had disappeared. "Then let's not waste it."
Keisuke leaned closer to his monitor, eyes burning. "Just open the fight. I'll finish it."
Rikiya did not respond to the confidence. He waited until Roshan's health dropped lower.
Then he moved.
Tidehunter Blinked directly into the pit.
For one brief second, Samsung Fabulous reacted exactly as expected.
DeepFang's Slardar turned immediately. Bristleback moved forward. Sven activated Black King Bar before Tidehunter could complete the initiation.
Rikiya pressed Ravage.
Massive tentacles erupted from the ground throughout the Roshan pit.
Slardar, Bristleback, and several of Chen's controlled creeps were thrown into the air. However, MoonSeer's Invoker and WhitePriest's Chen had stayed far enough away to avoid the stun completely. Sven's Black King Bar protected him, leaving IronWolf free to continue moving.
The Korean crowd erupted.
The first caster raised his voice. "RAVAGE CONNECTS ON THREE, BUT INVOKER AND CHEN AVOID IT! SVEN HAS BLACK KING BAR!"
IronWolf instantly abandoned Roshan and turned toward Koichi's Crystal Maiden.
Koichi tried to retreat, but Sven Blinked forward and swung his enormous sword. The first strike removed almost half of Crystal Maiden's health.
Koichi panicked. "H-He's on me!"
"Keep moving," Rikiya said.
Koichi used Frostbite, but Black King Bar made Sven immune. He turned and ran around the edge of the pit while IronWolf chased him, forcing Samsung's strongest carry away from Roshan for several precious seconds.
At the same time, Iwataro fired Hookshot.
Clockwerk flew across the pit and crashed directly into MoonSeer's Invoker.
The impact interrupted Invoker before he could cast his full spell combination. Iwataro immediately activated Power Cogs, trapping both of them together near the edge of the battlefield.
MoonSeer responded quickly with Cold Snap and attempted to create distance, but Clockwerk remained on top of him, using Battery Assault to repeatedly interrupt his casting.
Iwataro grinned faintly. "You're staying with me."
Meanwhile, Keisuke's Anti-Mage Blinked into the pit and immediately attacked DeepFang's Slardar.
Slardar had already recovered from Ravage and tried to stun him, but Keisuke used Manta Style at the perfect moment. The illusions appeared around Slardar, burning through his mana while Anti-Mage continued attacking rapidly.
DeepFang tried to retreat toward Bristleback.
Keisuke refused to let him escape.
"Not this time," he muttered.
The battle had become chaotic.
Tidehunter and Bristleback fought near Roshan. Clockwerk trapped Invoker. Anti-Mage pressured Slardar. Sven chased Crystal Maiden outside the pit. Chen remained behind, controlling creeps and preparing Hand of God.
The Korean commentators tried to follow everything at once.
"But where is Raijin Thunderkeg?" one of them suddenly asked. "Shookku is not inside the fight!"
The camera moved across the battlefield.
Tomoyasu was nowhere near the Roshan pit.
His Raijin Thunderkeg stood far away in the middle lane, near AKAI KUMA's side of the map.
For a moment, the play looked like a mistake.
The Japanese team had entered the decisive fight with only four players against Samsung Fabulous' five. Their mid player was still far away, and Roshan was almost dead.
At the Renkonan household, Ayumi stared at the television in confusion. "Why is Tomoyasu still there?"
Zenshin's eyes narrowed slightly.
Zaboru said nothing.
He only watched Raijin Thunderkeg's position, Tomoyasu's remaining mana, and the empty inventory slot on the hero.
Then he grinned.
"He knows," Zaboru thought.
Inside the match, Roshan's health dropped into the final portion.
WhitePriest's Chen moved closer, attempting to finish the monster while the others fought. He used Hand of God to restore Samsung's health, keeping Invoker and Slardar alive just long enough to continue resisting.
Then Tomoyasu moved.
Raijin Thunderkeg activated Ball Lightning from far across the map.
The hero transformed into a sphere of electrical energy and travelled through the middle lane, across the river, and toward the Roshan pit at terrifying speed. The enormous distance consumed a massive amount of mana, but Tomoyasu had calculated it carefully.
The blue lightning streak appeared on the broadcast before most viewers understood what was happening.
The Korean commentator shouted, "RAIJIN IS COMING FROM MID!"
The sphere of electricity tore through the edge of the pit.
It passed directly through WhitePriest's Chen, who had already lost health from Iwataro's earlier Rocket Flare and Tidehunter's attacks. The long-distance Ball Lightning dealt enormous damage.
Chen died instantly.
WhitePriest stared at his screen in disbelief.
Tomoyasu did not stop.
Raijin Thunderkeg continued through the Roshan pit and struck Roshan itself at the exact moment the monster's health became critically low.
The electrical impact secured the kill.
Roshan has fallen.
For half a second, nobody knew who had taken the Aegis.
Then the notification appeared.
Shookku has acquired the Aegis of the Immortal.
The arena exploded.
Tomoyasu had intentionally kept one inventory slot open.
He had stayed far away from the fight not because he was late, afraid, or confused. He had been waiting for the exact moment when his long-distance ultimate could kill Chen, secure Roshan, and allow him to collect the Aegis before Samsung Fabulous could react.
Inside the AKAI KUMA booth, even Rikiya's calm expression broke.
"Perfect!" he shouted.
Keisuke laughed loudly. "TOMOYASU!"
Koichi's voice rose in genuine excitement. "Y-You actually got it!"
Iwataro was still trapped with Invoker, but he laughed under his breath. "Quiet bastard planned the whole thing."
Tomoyasu appeared inside the pit with almost no mana remaining.
His expression remained calm.
"I got it," he said.
That was all.
At home, Zaboru chuckled softly. "Heheheh. Well played, folks."
Ayumi had already become fully invested in the match. She leaned forward with Arumi still in her arms and exclaimed, "That was incredible! He travelled from that far away just to steal it?"
Zaboru nodded once, his grin remaining.
The fight was not over.
The fight was not over.
Samsung Fabulous had lost Chen and Roshan, but their remaining four players immediately turned on AKAI KUMA. Tomoyasu had secured the Aegis, yet his long-distance Ball Lightning had consumed almost all of Raijin Thunderkeg's mana. He appeared inside the pit nearly empty, surrounded by Invoker and Bristleback.
MoonSeer reacted immediately.
Invoker launched Cold Snap before Tomoyasu could recover, while BackStone's Bristleback charged directly into him. Quill Spray stacked repeatedly as Tomoyasu attempted to create distance with the small amount of mana he had left.
Iwataro tried to interfere, but Invoker caught Clockwerk with Tornado and followed it with Chaos Meteor. Already wounded from trapping MoonSeer earlier, Iwataro could not survive the combination.
Clockwerk fell.
On the other side of the pit, Sven continued hunting Koichi. Rikiya moved Tidehunter between them, trying to protect Crystal Maiden, but IronWolf's Black King Bar was still active.
Sven's enormous sword struck Koichi first.
Crystal Maiden fell.
Rikiya answered with Gush and Anchor Smash, heavily reducing Sven's health and damage. However, IronWolf continued swinging, and Tidehunter eventually collapsed as well.
Within seconds, Koichi, Rikiya, and Iwataro were dead.
Tomoyasu followed shortly afterward. Trapped between Invoker's spells and Bristleback's constant pressure, Raijin Thunderkeg finally lost the last of his health.
But Tomoyasu had the Aegis.
His body began reforming inside the pit.
The Korean casters immediately raised their voices. "RAIJIN THUNDERKEG WILL REVIVE WITH FULL HEALTH AND MANA! SAMSUNG FABULOUS NEED TO MOVE!"
MoonSeer and BackStone attempted to reposition, but Keisuke was already fighting DeepFang's Slardar near the entrance.
Slardar tried to stun Anti-Mage, but Keisuke used Manta Style at the perfect moment. His illusions surrounded DeepFang and rapidly burned away his remaining mana. Without enough mana for another stun, Slardar could neither fight properly nor escape.
Keisuke Blinked ahead of him and continued attacking.
Slardar fell.
Hot Rod has slain DeepFang!
At almost the same moment, Tomoyasu revived.
Raijin Thunderkeg returned with full health and full mana.
Tomoyasu's calm expression did not change, but his hands immediately accelerated across the controls.
Ball Lightning tore through Invoker and Bristleback.
Tomoyasu moved back and forth through them at terrifying speed, repeatedly damaging both heroes while avoiding Invoker's spells. MoonSeer attempted to catch him with Tornado, but Tomoyasu changed direction midway through his movement. EMP appeared beneath Raijin's expected landing point, only for Tomoyasu to zip past it before the explosion.
Invoker followed with Cold Snap and Ice Wall.
Tomoyasu moved around the wall, pulled MoonSeer forward with Electric Vortex, and struck him with another burst of lightning. Bristleback attempted to protect Invoker, but Raijin simply travelled through both of them again.
The Korean commentators could barely follow him.
"SHOOKKU IS EVERYWHERE! INVOKER AND BRISTLEBACK CANNOT LOCK HIM DOWN!"
Tomoyasu's full mana pool disappeared rapidly, but he used every point of it to dismantle Samsung's formation. Bristleback's health fell dangerously low. Invoker was left with only a small portion remaining after being struck repeatedly by Raijin's Ball Lightning and Static Remnant.
MoonSeer still played brilliantly.
He waited until Tomoyasu's movement became more predictable, then placed Tornado along Raijin's escape route instead of directly in front of him.
Tomoyasu moved into it.
Raijin Thunderkeg was lifted into the air.
Invoker immediately placed EMP beneath him, while Bristleback added another Quill Spray as Tomoyasu landed. Raijin lost much of his remaining mana, but not before using one final Ball Lightning through both opponents.
Bristleback was left barely alive.
Invoker was nearly dead.
Tomoyasu had done everything he needed to do.
Keisuke saw the opening.
Anti-Mage Blinked into the fight and attacked Invoker first. MoonSeer attempted to retreat with Ghost Walk, but Koichi's sentry ward from before the Roshan battle was still standing near the entrance.
Invoker remained visible.
Even after dying, Koichi's preparation continued helping the team.
MoonSeer cast Tornado toward Anti-Mage's Blink path, but Keisuke recognised the same casting pattern Invoker had used throughout the series. Instead of moving directly forward, he paused for the smallest moment and Blinked diagonally around it.
The Tornado missed.
Keisuke appeared beside the wounded Invoker.
Only a few attacks were needed.
MoonSeer fell.
Double Kill!
Bristleback attempted to escape with almost no health remaining. Keisuke Blinked ahead of him, forcing BackStone to turn his vulnerable front toward Anti-Mage.
However, Keisuke did not continue attacking normally.
Bristleback still had a large mana pool.
Keisuke used Mana Void.
The explosion tore through Bristleback and finished the damage Tomoyasu had created.
BackStone collapsed.
Triple Kill!
Tomoyasu was still alive, but he had almost no mana left after fighting both Invoker and Bristleback. Before he could recover, IronWolf's Sven returned from killing Tidehunter and Crystal Maiden.
Sven charged directly toward Raijin Thunderkeg.
Tomoyasu attempted one final short Ball Lightning, but he no longer had enough mana to escape properly. Sven's sword struck him heavily.
Raijin Thunderkeg fell.
Tomoyasu stared calmly at the grey screen. "Sven has little mana."
Keisuke understood immediately.
Only two players remained alive around the Roshan pit.
Anti-Mage and Sven.
IronWolf's Sven still had approximately seventy-five per cent of his health. Keisuke's Anti-Mage had around eighty-four per cent.
Neither player had much mana remaining.
There would be no elaborate escape.
No long spell combination.
No support arriving to help.
It had become a direct carry battle.
Sven against Anti-Mage.
IronWolf attacked first.
Sven's enormous sword removed a frightening portion of Anti-Mage's health with every hit. Keisuke answered with faster attacks, burning away the little mana Sven still possessed.
Their health bars fell together.
Seventy per cent.
Fifty.
Thirty.
Keisuke could have tried to Blink away, but retreating would give Sven enough time to pursue or recover. IronWolf understood the same thing. Neither player moved.
They simply continued attacking.
The arena rose to its feet.
Sven's strength gave him the advantage with every individual strike, but Anti-Mage's attack speed allowed Keisuke to land more hits between each swing.
Twenty per cent.
Ten.
Sven raised his sword again.
Anti-Mage was almost dead.
The attack landed, reducing Keisuke to only a tiny sliver of health.
One per cent.
The Japanese crowd screamed.
Keisuke refused to look at his own health bar. He continued attacking, trusting that Anti-Mage's next strike would land before Sven's.
IronWolf prepared another swing.
Anti-Mage's blades struck first.
Sven's remaining health disappeared.
IronWolf fell.
For one brief moment, Anti-Mage stood alone beside the Roshan pit with only one per cent of his health remaining.
Then the announcer's voice thundered across the arena.
ULTRA KILL!
The entire Japanese section exploded.
Keisuke slammed one hand against the desk. "I WON!"
Iwataro immediately answered from his grey screen. "You have one per cent health. Please stop shouting before your hero dies from the wind."
"It still counts!"
Rikiya interrupted them. "Push. Their death timers are long."
Keisuke immediately returned his attention to the game.
The Ultra Kill appeared beside his name, but everyone inside AKAI KUMA understood how it had happened.
Keisuke had defeated Slardar alone. However, Tomoyasu had nearly destroyed Invoker and Bristleback after reviving with the Aegis. Koichi's sentry prevented Invoker from escaping. Rikiya had damaged Sven and forced him to use his important resources. Iwataro had disrupted Invoker from the beginning of the battle.
Anti-Mage had delivered the final strikes.
But the entire team had built the opportunity.
A Japanese creep wave was already moving through the middle lane.
Keisuke Blinked toward Samsung's base with only one per cent health remaining. He activated Manta Style and allowed his illusions to move ahead of him, protecting the real Anti-Mage from the towers.
The Korean crowd watched in disbelief as the nearly dead carry began tearing through their base.
The first tower fell.
Then the barracks.
Keisuke Blinked toward the final structures as Samsung's death timers continued counting down. His hands were still trembling from the Sven duel, but his movements remained focused.
Koichi watched the timers nervously. "T-They'll revive soon."
"You have enough time," Rikiya replied. "Keep attacking."
Keisuke destroyed the first Ancient tower.
Then the second.
Anti-Mage and his Manta illusions surrounded the Ancient. Samsung Fabulous' players could only watch through their death screens as its health rapidly disappeared.
WhitePriest's Chen was the first to respawn.
He rushed from the fountain, but it was already too late.
Keisuke ignored him and landed the final attack.
The Ancient shattered.
AKAI KUMA VICTORY.
The arena erupted louder than ever before.
Keisuke leaned back from the monitor, staring at the victory screen while his Anti-Mage remained alive with only one per cent health.
And although the scoreboard displayed Hot Rod's Ultra Kill, nobody who witnessed the battle could mistake it for a solo victory.
It was the final result of five players fighting as one team.
They had won.
AKAI KUMA had defeated Samsung Fabulous three games to two.
They had won the HIGH FLY Tournament.
It was not the largest tournament in the world. It was not yet the DoTA world championship, and it would not suddenly make Japan the strongest esports nation. But it was still an international tournament victory against a respected Korean team.
For Japanese viewers, it felt almost impossible.
Inside homes, game centres, internet cafés, and AKAI KUMA's own facilities, people stared at the screen in disbelief. Japan had spent time being called talented but unstructured, dangerous individually but weak as a team. Now, one of their teams had defeated Korea by using discipline, preparation, patience, and coordination.
Inside the player booth, Keisuke removed his headset first. His face was red with excitement, but he looked like he still had not fully processed the result. Koichi covered his mouth with both hands, eyes wide. Iwataro leaned back and stared at the ceiling, releasing the longest breath of his life. Tomoyasu remained quiet, though a small smile finally appeared on his face. Rikiya looked across all four of them before lowering his head briefly in relief.
Keisuke turned toward Tomoyasu. "That Roshan play…"
Tomoyasu looked back at him.
Keisuke shook his head, laughing. "You're insane."
Tomoyasu's smile grew slightly. "It worked."
Iwataro glanced toward him. "Please say more than two words after winning a tournament."
Tomoyasu thought about it.
Then he said, "We won."
Iwataro sighed. "Good enough."
Koichi began laughing quietly, mostly from relief. Rikiya reached over and placed one hand on his shoulder before looking toward the rest of the team.
"Save the celebration," he said. "We still have to go on stage."
Keisuke grinned. "Then let's go."
Back at the Renkonan household, Ayumi smiled brightly as the broadcast showed the Japanese players standing from their seats. "They really did it."
Zaboru leaned back slightly, still grinning.
"Yeah."
He had reacted very little throughout the match, but the satisfaction was obvious in his eyes. AKAI KUMA had not won because of one lucky fight. Their victory had come from months of discipline, improved habits, better communication, and trust in one another.
They had earned it.
"Damn, that was a good match," Zaboru thought. Then his mind drifted somewhere new. "Maybe it's finally time for LoL to arrive too. I can make it earlier in this world, right?"
He chuckled softly at the idea.
That could wait.
For now, AKAI KUMA deserved their moment.
And probably a very large bonus.
To be continued.
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