As Prin Coco's performance gradually climaxed, the bees on the field took on a special, rosy hue, their demeanor transforming as well.
"Begin now, Bee Commanding Secret Art: Dance of Slaughter!" Cassana commanded, her baton sweeping down, pointing directly across the stage at Sui Qin.
The bees originally hovering in the sky abruptly changed course, diving down en masse.
These bees, with their hooked claws and Poison Stings glinting with a red glimmer, descended like thousands of fiery sparks, assaulting the diminutive figure. Originally of merely Sequence 3 beginner level, the bees, under the dual enhancement of the music and the Manipulator, saw their powers boosted to nearly that of Sequence 4 for a short time. And with more than 60 of them, the situation was overwhelmingly against the lone Sui Qin.
"No wonder they put her last, and not Xia Kui. For this kind of competition format, Cassana really is more suitable," a few members of the audience commented amidst their buzzing discussions, while many others were engrossed, watching the petite girl on the stage to see how she would cope.
"Oh, this is just chaos," Sui Qin's voice quivered almost to tears. Her body emanated a pale green Spiritual Light, and she rapidly began to spin, her Dual Swords creating afterimages as they swept through the attacking killer bees.
Although she was fast enough, the openwork vine-and-ivy Dual Swords in her hands couldn't effectively harm the bees. At most, they shattered the rosy plating on the surface of the bees, which then fell to the ground to rest for a while before taking to the air again.
Sharp killing power and speed could not coexist; now that all her energy focused on dodging and sweeping away the encircling bees, if she were to divert a significant portion of her Magic Power to enhance her killing power, it would mean trading blows, and she would quickly be defeated.
"Hurry up, you guys, if you don't shield me soon, I really can't hold on any longer," Sui Qin pleaded while dodging and spinning to fend off the approaching bees, speaking nonstop.
They had agreed earlier that as long as she held out for a minute in the arena, support would come.
Finally, after one minute passed, Prin Coco's song transitioned from its climax, and seizing the moment, Tilan and Efnie exchanged glances and signaled to the members behind them to begin playing.
A lilting flute melody arose at the top of a bridge, followed by the jingling of bells, an ethereal chant, and rhythmic drum beats, as if walking through a forest bathed in light, listening to the songs and dances of Fairies.
Indeed, this piece depicted the scene that Tilan experienced upon entering Yuanting Academy, famously known as 'The Dazzling Beast of Midsummer,' Brigitte dancing and singing with her companions in the forest.
Although Edith Academy didn't have such a delicate Elf girl to fit the scene, Sui Qin, who was also from the Natural Sequence and not tall, lively matched the spirit of the song perfectly.
The hand drums tapped softly, bells jingled lightly, voices stepped into a dappled shade, polished tiptoes pressed on leaves, reflecting the green foliage and dew, everything so harmoniously beautiful.
With Prin Coco's song repeated over and over, the buoyant and tranquil piece performed by Tilan and Efnie gradually gained precedence, and because of the song's enhancement, Sui Qin felt lighter and more agile, the pressure to dodge significantly reduced. She even managed spare energy to carefully observe the bees flying by her side while spinning and jumping, bursting into giggles of delight.
Like a green Fairy stepping into the forest, the emerald mark on Sui Qin's brow shone brighter, the radiance she emitted sparkling with vitality.
Finally, when she once again touched down on the ground, the green Spiritual Light spilled out, condensing into two small teal deer, which danced alongside her. When the bees came close, they were blocked by these teal deer, which, being made of energy, feared neither the bees' stings nor poison.
The pressure further eased, and Sui Qin no longer needed to evade constantly, merely changing her steps occasionally to effortlessly dodge the falling rosy sparks or to sweep away the approaching bees with her swords.
"It's my turn now," Sui Qin stated, raising one hand lightly and placing the other behind her back, as if beginning a dance, her face slightly tilted upward, her eyes alight with the same green Spiritual Light as her body.
"The tree among trees, the Elf among Elves, the lively shadow walking through the woods, the fantastical, beautiful figure—who could it be?"
"That's right, it's me, the Fairy of the trees, the Dream Shadow of the forest."
Tree Spirits, creatures of legend with the lower body of a deer and the upper body of a young girl, walked through the forest, extraordinarily beautiful, enchanting everyone who saw them.
Natural Sequence 5: Dream of the Tree Spirit, Sui Qin's Transcendent Profession, was similar to the abilities of such fairytale creatures.
When her eyes filled with lively green solidified into symbols, the Spiritual Light emanating from her spread ripple-like across the stage, layer upon layer.
"Buzz, buzz, buzz—" The bees that had been relentlessly pursuing Sui Qin gradually ceased, as if they were caught in confusion, colliding with each other, wavering, their protective enhancements flickering on and off.
Then, as the ripples washed over them again and again, the rosy plating on the bees eventually faded, returning them to their usual states, and afterward, even their stingers and hooks were faintly coated with a light green film.
"Now, dance with me~"
Wielding her vine-wrought Short Sword, Sui Qin resumed her dance, and the bees ceased their attacks, instead spinning and dancing alongside her.