Make It Quick And Painless!

Shocked, Ume casts Bee a puzzled stare.

Ume: You expect me to fight?! Am I even any good?
Bee: You can do it! I believe in you! The Sage is a genius, after all!
Ume: That still doesn't really explain anything! Hrm... if nobody explains it, I simply have to analyze the situation myself! Evelyn, what's the status?
Evelyn: I am not sure how strong it is, but it is faster than it seems. So far none of us has been able to hit it. If you could do something about it, I should be able to take care of the rest!
Ume: Roger that! I'll see what I can do to assist you!

Then Ume takes a closer look at everyone around, trying to assess the situation. Both Evelyn and Gertrud repeatedly try to land a hit on the walking cupcake without legs, but fail over and over. Around them, there is plenty space to the nearest cars in the parking area, at least fifteen meters in between. After this, she examines her new clothes and the accessories she gained from the transformation. Seeing that, Bee flits to her side, as if ready to give some advice.

Bee: You are trying to understand your tactical possibilities, right?
Ume: Correct. The way everything looks like at the moment, it appears like Evelyn was right with wanting to do something against its speed. They are really fast, but this monster still is capable of avoiding them. As long as Evelyn gets the chance to land a blow, this should work out, right?
Bee: That's right!
Ume: However, I still don't have any idea what these plum-shaped things do.

The well-educated woman grabs one of the three "plums", turning it into several directions to scrutinize the strange object.

Ume: Hmm, this is weird. Instead of the obligatory stem and leaf of the fruit, there is a pin looking like one in its place. And three white spots around it that I cannot fathom.
Bee: Then hear this: If you can't figure something out, you simply need to try it out! It looks like a bomb, so just throw it at the opponent!
Ume: Very well! Then I shall pull the pin to turn the tide!

She steps back and throws the plum with all her might. It flies off in an arc, landing directly next to the mad cupcake. A thin pink layer forms and expands around the supposed bomb to a sphere with three meters in diameter, and Evelyn, Gertrud and the monster suddenly stop at the spot. The three white spots on the plum turn black, one after another and one per second, and as soon as all of them run out, the plum just disappears in a poof along with the layer. Just in that moment, the three within begin to move again.

Ume: Did you see that?!
Bee: Yeah. Nothing blew up, damn it.
Ume: No, don't you get it?! These plums are capable of stopping the flow of time in a certain range for three seconds! That is amazing!
Bee: What?! And it only took you one try to figure that out?! Holy macaroni, that's The Sage for ya.
Ume: So far so good. Now we have to help Evelyn and her friend!

Ume and Bee get closer to the others, with Ume waving to get their attention. Still involved in the attack-and-evade-dance with the vicious pastry, the other two elderly women turn toward her.

Evelyn: What is it? Did you find something helpful?
Ume: And how! You two, try to keep some more distance to that cupcake fiend! I have a plan!
Gertrud: Right on!

Then the weird being lunges at Gertrud once more, who now doesn't just let it bounce off her blackberry shield like the previous times. Instead, she turns it around to its thorny back side and smacks it away like sending a ball flying with a racket. Seeing her chance to strike to have arrived, Ume grabs the second plum bomb and instantly chucks it toward the monster.

Ume: Here I go! Eat that!

But aware of the incoming object, the cupcake simply twists around, shooting the bomb back to where it came from, using the momentum of its teacup handle. The bomb "explodes", stopping dead in midair, then just disappears in a poof within the wasted three seconds as the cupcake lands.

Cupcake monster: As if I would just watch you throw something at me! Try again!
Bee: Oh no, it blocked your attack! What now?!
Ume: Gh, not good. Seems like it got better reflexes than I anticipated. Then I will try something else.

Now Ume gets back to the table where she served her plum cake, taking its plate and moving it around to catch the monster's eye.

Ume: I am here, you gluttonous monstrosity! Come and fetch your beloved cake!
Cupcake monster: Fat chance! You are only going to throw that bomb at me again!
Ume: What bomb? Look, I don't have any more on me. I don't know what else to do, so I will just give up and let you have the cake.
Bee: No! Don't do it! It'll get undefeatable once it has feasted on so much cake!

Now entirely blinded by the chance of a quick snack, it dashes at the piece of plum cake Ume holds, not noticing how she secretly draws another plum bomb from behind.

Cupcake monster: At last! Cake! CAAAAAKE! And then the lady holding it as dessert!
Ume: You are a plum, assuming I'd do something so foolish as to sacrifice myself.

She readjusts her glasses, confidently staring down the bad pastry as she gently tosses the last plum into the air.

Ume: Watch me and learn, just like my students! Plum Time Bomb!

Simply unable to stop its motion by now, the disastrous cupcake speeds at Ume, but halts mid-air - only an arm's length away from Ume - just as the thin sphere materializes around them. Ume then steps back to keep her distance and gives Evelyn a signal.

Ume: This is your chance! Go!
Evelyn: Very well! I draw upon the power of my will! Enchant!

As Evelyn holds it up, the partisan begins to glow at its caramelized almond tip, and Evelyn rushes at the frozen cupcake.

Bee: What, enchant? What did you do, Evelyn?
Evelyn: Just what it sounds like. Instead of a flashy attack that robs a lot of energy, I simply let part of that spear's power flow out to enhance the blow!
Bee: Now that's my Vanguard! Get it!
Evelyn: Right! But since it was so adorable, I will make it as quick and painless as possible.
Bee: You're still not over that?!

And just as the third white dot turns black, Evelyn sends her weapon right through the monster. Still frozen and unable to cry out in utter defeat, it explodes into numerous round, wrapped candy drops. They scatter on the floor, then simply vanish, and the three women cheer to celebrate their hard-earned victory.

Ume: And this is how to take out an unwanted living pastry. Quod erat demonstrandum!
Gertrud: ...Do you actually enjoy this?!
Ume: I did! That was a decent challenge for my brain and a welcome variety from the problems I usually solve!