Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva

The six academies will take turns competing against each other until the top two with the highest scores are determined for the finals. If it were like before, many audience members would look forward to the team matches even more, because there were more people and the battles were bigger and more spectacular. However, this year seemed different. After last night's competition, some even began discussing whether Tilan and Sevia La could solo an entire academy. Although such remarks might offend other academies, in the eyes of some high-ranking Transcendents, this wasn't an impossibility. The strength of the two had reached a level of qualitative change, making it very difficult to counter them with sheer numbers of regular students. After reading through various comments and evaluations, Tilan felt sleepy again, so she took a nap under a tree. Having used her Talent Ability several times last night, she had accumulated quite a bit of fatigue; she would likely be very sleepy for about a month before returning to normal. That night, the venue for the Winter Festival competition was packed to capacity. Ticket prices, which were just a few thousand before, have now been speculated on the internet to tens and even hundreds of thousands. Countless people came, just wanting to see up close how the absolute geniuses of Four-leaf Crystal Star Domain fight and sweat. As fireworks rose around the venue, the host's passionate and resonant voice rang out again. "Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we revel here, as the Winter Festival team competition begins tonight!!!" After the announcement, the six academies' formations once again entered the arena, followed by the much-anticipated drawing of lots. "Now, I announce the first match, Edith Academy versus Swarm's Reign Academy!" The battle arena inside the venue was pulled open to both sides, then two hills facing each other were raised, with a gorge about two hundred meters wide in between. The students from the two academies then entered the battle arena. In the team competition, each academy fielded 72 people and could freely mix and match professions to form various resonant arrays to cast many large-scale spells and abilities. Accompanied by the convergence of countless lights, students in black uniforms from Edith Academy entered the arena, clustering around the girl with black hair and blue eyes at the center, looking skilled and mysterious, like a princess leading a knight's procession. On the other side of the battlefield, the students from Swarm's Reign were also impeccably arrayed, with girls in tan and white uniforms protecting Prin Coco as they ascended the hill. It was them again. As the two songstresses stood respectively at the tops of the hills, the atmosphere in the venue gradually ignited, and with the referee's proclamation, the competition officially started. "What kind of feelings might you have, Tilan?" Prin Coco's fingers strummed the strings of her instrument, and a crimson flame rose, rapidly spreading to every member by her side. The students of Swarm's Reign Academy began to levitate, resembling bees guarding their queen, with their black rapiers painted with the fiery red flames, becoming sharper and more dangerous. The secret technique originally used to command swarms of bees was now applied to each student, multiplying its effect geometrically. If the previous Transcendent bees were limited by their weak foundation, so that even with enhancement they didn't make a big impact, the students present each held the rank of Sequence 5 elites. They were larger and more coordinated than actual bees, with resonating echoes reverberating, and each one, a crimson comet, rose into the night sky, their aura climbing step by step, slowly approaching Sequence 6. "Bee Commanding Secret Art: Dance of Slaughter!" In an instant, countless fiery red meteors dashed down, swooping toward Edith Academy's position. The resulting heat wave, like a tsunami, sent flames lapping at faces and making hair flutter. Although Swarm's Reign Academy didn't perform well in the individual matches, this didn't mean they were at a disadvantage in the team competition. In fact, in the history of the Winter Festival team competitions, Swarm's Reign Academy had always managed to place in the top three. It was this strong team combat capability that allowed them to hold the second-place ranking. This is a bit troublesome, thought the girl as she watched the group of crimson meteors diving from the sky. Indeed, she could obliterate these opponents if she went all out, but then the match would turn into her solo show, failing to showcase the overall strength of Edith Academy. Not everyone was like her and Sevia La. Most parents and students still hoped to see that even students with average Talent could achieve sufficient growth within the academy. Will it only be a battle of singing, then? The girl blinked and in her hand appeared a seven-stringed harp glowing with pale blue light. With a strum of her fingers, the strings sent out light blue ripples, covering the students behind her. A gentle coolness rose from beneath the feet of the Edith students, and then they were enveloped in a pale blue mist, their weapons gaining a frosty hue. Unlike the enthusiastic and fiery emotions stirred by Prin Coco, the sound of the piano and the ethereal singing in everyone's hearts allowed every student from Edith Academy to remain especially calm, their thoughts clear, unaffected by the noisy and tumultuous world outside. What felt like suffocating heat to the audience was nothing more than an illusion to them, intangible and unable to touch their bodies. "Edith String Performance - Frost Cold Breeze!" As Tilan gracefully waved her hand down, the students from Edith Academy behind her turned into icy blue streaks of light, colliding with the students from Swarm's Reign Academy who were diving down. Various flashes and bursts echoed in the air, as the black and blue and orange-red figures constantly weaved and collided, crisscrossing back and forth in the night sky, fighting furiously. Amidst the chaos, some were knocked down and left the field while others defeated one opponent after another, moving forward relentlessly. In terms of coordinated tactical skills, the students of Swarm's Reign Academy were clearly stronger; they could briefly share their thoughts and get a rough sense of each other's status through the Bee Commanding Secret Art, cooperating flawlessly. However, if the discussion turned to individual quality, the Edith Academy students were indeed a bit stronger, and with Tilan's protection, which restrained Prin Coco's flames, the outcome of the battle remained more or less even. The fierce battle in the sky went on with intense crisscrossing, but surprisingly, no one interfered with the two songstresses below, even though there was no one protecting them. The students from Swarm's Reign Academy understood that the girl singing below could be even more terrifying than the Edith students fighting in the sky. Meanwhile, the students from Edith Academy had their own pride; with Tilan standing below to dominate the field, to go after the rival songstress would be disgraceful. They also wanted to prove themselves honorably, to show their bravery and strength under the watchful eyes of countless spectators, friends, and family members in this battle witnessed by many. Minutes later, the battle gradually came to an end. There were no more than ten flying and fighting students left in the sky, five from Edith Academy and four from Swarm's Reign. After another clash and bout of combat, they temporarily separated, catching their breath and recovering their magic power while looking towards their distant adversaries. At this point, all participants were wounded, and each surviving competitor was an uncommon elite. In the night sky, Sitasia wiped the blood from her forehead and smeared it on the blood-red scythe in her hands, adding a faint shimmer to the blade, the edge of which extended with a faint halo. Across from her, a slightly taller chestnut-haired girl also shook off the blood on the black triangular bee stinger in her hand, retied her scattered hair, and the high ponytail revealed her graceful neck. Despite her poor performance in the individual matches, Xia Kui had united many resonant and like-minded students in the melee of the team match. She took down numerous Edith Academy students, evening out the disadvantage and greatly highlighting her personal leadership effects. With her chest rising and falling gently, Xia Kui's gaze swept over the five opponents opposite her, then shifted to the black-haired girl standing on the hill below. Defeat tonight was inevitable; even the five of them combined were no match for that black-haired girl, but even so, she still didn't want to give up just yet. Even if they were to lose, they would lose gracefully, right? Like Deloris, from a young age, she too seemed nearly perfect in the eyes of adults—an excellent student and heir. If previously her lack of adversity might make her seem somewhat of a pretty face without substance, after two significant defeats, she had become all the more tenacious. "This is the last time, follow me," she said with a deep breath and closed eyes. Then opening them, she called to her companions by her side. "Yes!" Four twinkling red comets charged towards the enemy line. Although the outcome was already determined, their resolute will also won the applause and admiration of countless spectators. Half a minute later, the battle ended. Prin Coco put down her guitar, smiled at Tilan, then nodded slightly, conceding defeat. "The first match, Edith Academy wins!" Despite the defeat, it was a dignified one. After a dismal performance in the individual matches where no one made it to the finals, Swarm's Reign Academy finally proved their strength in the team battle.