Star Sea Team and White Tigers securing early qualification stood like two great mountains in the final phase of the Swiss Stage, exerting immense pressure on the remaining teams while igniting the last flicker of hope in their hearts.
The final two tickets to the semifinals would be fiercely contested among four teams from North America, Europe, the CIS, and Southeast Asia.
According to the Swiss Stage rules, teams with identical records face each other, meaning two life-and-death Best-of-Three matches were about to take place.
These two teams, both holding a 1 win and 2 loss record, were the "Artists," known for their spiritual and unrestrained style but unstable form, and the "Classical Knights," profound in heritage yet having just suffered a crushing defeat.
The winner between them would keep their hopes of advancing alive, while the loser would immediately end their run in this World Championship.
In the first game, the Royal Knights, fighting with their backs against the wall, seemed not yet fully recovered from the shadow of being crushed by White Tigers.
They chose an extremely conservative late-game scaling composition, their intention clearly being to stall until the late game and win team fights.
However, Aurora Borealis did not give them that chance.
Perhaps inspired by Star Sea Team's lightning-fast victory, Aurora Borealis surprisingly brought out a composition with extremely strong early-game aggression.
The jungler's Elise frequently visited the mid lane, and, combined with the mid laner Qiyana's burst damage, they secured a kill on the Royal Knights' orianna before level six, opening up the game.
Having gained the advantage, Aurora Borealis unleashed their "artistry" onto the offense.
Various unbelievable tower dives, pincer attacks, and vision manipulation left the Royal Knights dizzy and disoriented.
The Royal Knights' defenses seemed precarious under the torrential assault of Aurora Borealis.
At twenty-five minutes, relying on their massive gold advantage and item lead, Aurora Borealis caught the lone enemy ADC in the jungle, followed by a strong push to take the first game.
"Aurora Borealis has seized the initiative!" Commentator Commentator analyzed, "The Royal Knights must make a change; they cannot afford to remain passive like this!"
In the second game, the Royal Knights, driven to desperation, finally burned their boats and sank their ships.
They abandoned their conservative approach and chose a dive composition with extremely strong mid-game team fight capability: Renekton top, Jarvan IV jungle, galio mid, paired with kaisa and Alistar in the bottom lane.
Aurora Borealis, however, seemed somewhat complacent, once again selecting a composition that favored early-game tempo but had a lower margin for error.
As the game began, the Royal Knights reversed the decline of the previous match, displaying extreme aggression right from level one.
The mid-jungle synergy between Jarvan IV and galio frequently paid off, opening a breakthrough in the top lane.
Aurora Borealis attempted to counter with their wild and imaginative strategies, but this time, the Royal Knights used more solid team fight coordination and firmer resolve to stifle Aurora Borealis's "artistry" in the cradle.
During a crucial Baron team fight in the mid-game, the Royal Knights' support Alistar landed a perfect Flash-Pulverize combo, locking down three members of Aurora Borealis.
galio followed up with his Hero's Entrance (R) for more crowd control, and kaisa flew into the backline to clean up!
Ace!
"A perfect team fight! The Royal Knights have fought back!" Yaoyao shouted excitedly.
Empowered by the Baron Buff, the Royal Knights advanced unstoppably, tying the series!
The match was dragged into the final decisive game.
The mentality and willpower of both sides became the key factors determining the winner.
This time, both sides brought out their trump cards, with team compositions being more cautious yet also more extreme.
The match was exceptionally grueling, with the gold curves rising in a jagged, interwoven pattern, and neither side could convert an advantage into a guaranteed victory.
When the clock hit thirty-five minutes, both teams had largely completed their builds, and the final battle commenced around the Elder Dragon.
After a long period of vision control skirmishes and skill probing, the Aurora Borealis ADC made a tiny positional error!
The Royal Knights' support Alistar did not hesitate, landing another Flash-Pulverize combo!
"Alistar has engaged! Can he land it?"
In the nick of time, the Aurora Borealis ADC used Quicksilver Sash to cleanse the crowd control, while his support Tahm Kench swallowed him to save him!
Aurora Borealis immediately counter-engaged!
However, the Royal Knights' top laner Kennen, like a long-lurking assassin, flashed in from the flank shadows, and his Slicing Maelstrom (R) enveloped the entire Aurora Borealis backline!
"Kennen! The lightning storm! The Aurora Borealis backline is going to melt!"
Under Kennen's devastating AOE damage, the Aurora Borealis formation instantly collapsed.
Although they desperately managed to trade the Royal Knights' ADC, having lost their backline damage, they were powerless to turn the tide.
"ACE!"
Wipeout!
"It's over! The Royal Knights have won!" Commentator announced loudly, "They came back from one game down to win two! They achieved self-redemption in desperation, defeated Aurora Borealis, and kept their final hope of advancing alive! As for Aurora Borealis, unfortunately, their World Championship journey ends here!"
The members of Aurora Borealis looked dejected; their imaginative playstyle ultimately could not overcome the resilience and team fight aesthetic power unleashed by the European Kings in their moment of crisis.
Immediately following was another life-or-death battle—the ultimate showdown between "Brawlers."
Siberian Bear and Bangkok Pythons, two teams renowned for their ferocious playstyles, would engage in the most primal and bloody struggle for the last spot in the semifinals.
This Best-of-Three had no tactical maneuvering, no excessive vision control battles; there was only fighting from start to finish!
Both sides started killing each other relentlessly from the level one fight.
The Siberian Bear' top laner Darius chased and chopped the Bangkok Pythons' jungler from the top lane to the bottom lane; the Bangkok Pythons' mid laner champion dashed around in the minion wave, balancing joy and risk.
In the first game, the Siberian Bear, relying on superior individual skill and team fight impact, forcefully shattered the Bangkok Pythons' formation, taking the first victory.
In the second game, the Bangkok Pythons showed their extreme tenacity.
Despite a massive early-game disadvantage, they seized an opportunity from an overextended push by the Siberian Bear, and their ADC Vayne completed a shocking cleanup, tying the series!
The match once again entered the decisive game!
The atmosphere was suffocatingly tense.
In the decisive game, both sides were seeing red.
The gold lead remained negligible, and the kill count continuously traded back and forth.
The final determining factors rested on team coordination and crucial decision-making.
When the final Elder Dragon spawned, the Siberian Bear revealed their subtle side beneath their roughness.
They utilized vision advantage to position themselves early, and their support Leona initiated the fight, locking down the Bangkok Pythons' key carry!
The Siberian Bear' ADC kaisa flew into the battlefield like a leopard, and with her teammates' damage, instantly melted the Bangkok Pythons' backline!
"kaisa is cleaning up! The Siberian Bear have won this decisive team fight!"
Empowered by the Elder Dragon Buff, the Siberian Bear gave no further opportunities, pushing down the Bangkok Pythons' base in one go!
"Victory!"
"Congratulations to the Siberian Bear!" Yaoyao shouted loudly, "In this fierce 'Brawlers' showdown, they had the last laugh! With a score of 2:1, they defeated the Bangkok Pythons and secured the final ticket to the semifinals!"
The members of the Siberian Bear roared on stage like actual brown bears, venting their excitement and pressure.
The Bangkok Pythons, unfortunately, fell at the final hurdle, but their ferocity left a deep impression on everyone.
With this, all four semifinalists of the Star Sea Cup World Invitational have been decided!
China Region - Star Sea Team (Team Star Ocean)
Korea Region - White Tigers
Europe Region - Royal Knights
CIS Region - Siberian Bear
These four top-tier powerhouses, each with a distinct style, will engage in an even more brutal semifinal clash one week later for the tickets to the finals!
Can Star Sea Team continue their miracle?
Can White Tigers recast the Iron Curtain?
Can the Knights defend their honor?
Can the Great Bears go all the way as the dark horse?
All the suspense is left for the final stage!