I made contact with David’s associates to discover that they’re part of the unseen side of the world tracking down some sort of entities. I managed to fool them into thinking I was part of one of their secret societies so I thought I could breath easy.

But this Maeve girl seems bent on killing me because she failed to earlier. What did I do to deserve this? Seems like this girl will kill anyone so long as she seems interested in it. Maybe she just loves fighting?

I’ve got to stop thinking because the fight is starting now.

Maeve accelerates at supersonic speeds leaving an audible boom in the air. I barely react in time and circulate Qi through my body to keep up. She extends a finger aimed square at my eye with enough force to crush my skull. This psycho really is trying to kill me isn’t she?

I dodge and counter with a palm shoving her away. I put a bit of force in it with my high stats reinforced with Qi and it sends her flying away. She stops herself in midair and hovers, staring at me with glee.

Maeve 「 Yes, that’s it. This kitty has some sharp claws. Exciting. This wouldn’t be a proper PVP if you didn’t fight back. 」

She was probably testing my strength with that previous encounter as now her power is soaring furiously to the skies. The ground trembles and the two boys plus the principal have to back away from the force.

I can only gather Qi from the air and continue circulating it through my bloodstream, raising the tension. I only know how to gather and use Qi energy, but I don’t have any techniques or weapon arts to display. You could say that I’m a martial artist who only knows how to throw a strong punch.

She knows that I’m at a disadvantage at a distance so she creates several balls of psionic energy and launches them at me like heat seeking missiles. I knock them away but the impact shaves down my HP. My defense won’t keep up if all I do is block or counter.

Do martial artists and cultivators have any ranged attacks? I know in some asian books the cultivators can channel their energy through their weapons and fly around on their swords.

I still have my Vorpal Knife that cuts through almost anything. But it might just kill her if I’m not careful. Maybe a stick will work as a weapon?

I pick up a branch and channel Qi into it but the branch shatters into pieces like an overstuffed container. I guess those stories of a master of the sword being able to cut with just a stick are just that: stories.

But then again I can do things that only exist in stories. I create a skill called, Qi Swordsmastery, and something clicks in my head. It’s as if I’ve always known the sword all my life and how to hold it, to channel Qi through it, and how to cut with it.

Maeve looks confused with my actions of picking up another stick. I concentrate Qi into it and create a stick blazing with clear translucent flames that radiate a dangerous aura. Even she can tell that this branch is as sharp as steel now.

She launches more psionic missiles at me but I wave the stick and cut through them diffusing their ballistic energy. Not only that, but with another swing a wave of clear energy flies out at her. She erects a barrier in defense but the barrier is cut in half from the strike and blood flies in the air.

Maeve dodged at the last second so the cut isn’t deep but it still nicked her shoulder. She stares at me in amazement and her mouth turns into a “v” shape.

Maeve 「 You’re strong. Stronger than any mobs I’ve fought before. Killing you will make the audience despair. Heh heh he. Hee hee hee. 」

Audience? Does she know I’m writing a book?

Looking at her, it’s like a gloomy girl from nightmares got super powerful and wants to end me. No thanks, I think that’s enough playing around with her.

I activate time magic and the world around me slows to a stop. The spectators and Maeve are frozen stiff without knowing anything is happening. Time magic is too powerful. Now how to stop her? I could tie her up but doing that in public just seems wrong.

Oh, idea! If she wants to hurt me, why don’t I make myself immune to her? I bring up my Menu and modify the skill to include a party function. I should thank mmos for the idea. I add Maeve to my party, I don’t need her permission this time, and set the party parameters to make me immune to friendly fire.

I stop freezing time and stare at her with a smile like goading her to try this again. She’s realized that I did something but is unaware of what exactly I did. Of course that doesn’t stop her from cladding her body in psionic energy and swinging a kick at my smug face.

The kick lands without any resistance from me but to everyone’s surprise I am perfectly fine. The kick failed to deal any damage to me or make me budge. She also chops down at my neck but results in nothing happening again.

She backs off wary of my counterattack but I don’t need to do anything anymore except be smug about it.

She sends a psionic missile my way that blows up but I don’t feel a thing. Seeing her attack fail she uses her powers to carve a boulder out of the ground and raise it in the air. The boulder towers over us casting a large shadow but I’m not daunted in the least.

She throws it at me but I just close my eyes and let it strike me. It breaks apart all around me without leaving a single scratch.

Maeve 「 How? What’s going on? What did you do? 」

Becca 「 Simple. I made us party members and turned friendly fire off. 」

Maeve 「 Party? Friendly Fire? You’re abusing GM rights. 」

She can’t comprehend my words or what is happening but I don’t need her to.

Becca 「 Basically I’m immune to any attacks from you. Try as you want but nothing will work. 」

Maeve 「 I don’t believe it. 」

She seems stubborn or just determined to keep trying different things. The boys and the principal watch with mouths agape as she unleashes terrifying attacks that create crevices in the ground and set fire to the school field. She brings down meteors, fires off sharp rocks and metal, tries to suffocate the air around me and sink me into the ground.

At some point she switches targets and tries using mental attacks. She has a grasp on telekinesis, pyrokinesis, and mental attacks. But none of those works, sometimes not even activating, and she has to give up eventually.

Becca 「 Are you done? 」

Maeve 「 You… 」

She glares at me but doesn’t bother attacking me since it would just waste energy.

Maeve 「 You’re gonna deny me and the readers this fight? That’s a cheap cop-out. I take back my likes. Can I dislike? 」

Becca 「 I sense a 4th wall cracking open but I’m gonna ignore that. 」

I make Maeve my party member and turn off friendly fire so she can no longer harm me. Hopefully this puts a stop to her rampage.

Maeve 「 I was promised a fight to the death. Dangit. I even got into character for it. 」

Almost like a different person altogether, Maeve changes personality and seems more, upbeat? She is not as gloomy but more playful and pouting.

Maeve 「 I’m gonna kill my agent. Man, I was so psyched to kill a hero and take over the story. 」

I have absolutely no clue what she’s talking about but I doubt I would understand it.

Maeve 「 Well if I can’t take over the hero position, I might as well screw up the story. 」

Becca 「 Please don’t make things more troublesome than it already is. 」

I can’t get a good read on this crazy girl. Is she a psychopath? She isn’t acting like one right now. Maybe she’s a troll? She smiles at my troubled thoughts with a toothy grin.

Maeve 「 The name’s Maeve. Nice to meet ya Hero. From now on, I’m gonna shadow you and royally mess things up. 」

I can appreciate the honesty and malice contained in that smile. Unfortunately for her,

Becca 「 I refuse. 」

Maeve 「 Objection overruled. 」

Becca 「 I’ll appeal. 」

Maeve 「 Motion dismissed. 」

Becca 「 I despise you. 」

Maeve 「 I want to eviscerate you. 」

Great. I think we have an understanding. I don’t think I can convince her otherwise, but it’s not like she can really do anything to me. Might as well let her tag along if she wants.

Maeve「 Frenemies? 」

She extends a hand to me in a peace offering manner, even if the word she utters is of a different notion.

Becca 「 I guess that’s what we are now. Frenemies. 」

She tries to sneak in a stab with a dagger but it bounces harmlessly off my stomach. Maeve must have known that would happen because she’s unperturbed and still smiling. I shake her hand even when she tries to increase her grip strength to several pounds. I increase my strength and force her hand to retreat sore and swollen.