The Princess Who Fought the Church

In the tranquil garden of the Noble House of Kaizer, Blanchette sat under the shade of a flowering tree with Merlin, enjoying the breeze and the soft fragrance of lavender that danced through the air.

"It was fun catching up with you, Sis," Merlin said warmly, rising to her feet. "But I've got to get back to training."

Blanchette nodded, watching her walk back toward the mansion. Alone again, she looked down at her hands, then to the garden path where she used to train as a child under Captain Percival's watchful eye.

"Maybe I should start training again," she murmured to herself, eyes narrowing in nostalgic resolve.

Just then, Sam came running into the garden, out of breath. "Blanchette! The Queen sent me. She wants you in the throne room. It's about Joshua!"

Before Sam could blink, Blanchette vanished in a flash.

"Whoa… she disappeared!" Sam gasped.

Blanchette burst into the throne room like a storm. Queen Juliet sat atop her throne, poised and stern, holding a small hat, the one Blanchette had dropped the day before.

"The Royal Church sent me a letter," Juliet said coldly. "Joshua is to be punished for his behavior yesterday. So it seems that beast still cannot control his urges. He deserves what's coming to him."

Blanchette's eyes darkened. Without a word, she turned and walked away.

"Where do you think you're going, young lady?" the Queen barked. "Not even the royal family can interfere with the Church!"

Blanchette ignored her, walking with fire in her veins.

She reached her room and quickly tore off her dress. In its place, she slipped into Joshua's sleeveless hoodie, cropped to show her stomach. She tugged on cargo pants, laced her boots tightly, and fastened the knuckle busters gauntlets, Joshua had gifted her to a string at her waist. She looked in the mirror once, her reflection fierce, defiant.

Then she bolted out of the Noble House and ran full speed toward the human district.

In the streets of the human district, the grim procession dragged on.

"Shame! Shame! Shame!" chanted the priest, ringing his bell as Joshua and Jack were paraded naked through the cobbled road. The crowd jeered, hurled rotting fruit and vegetables, their faces full of contempt and ridicule.

Then, smack!

A small boy, the same one Joshua had saved the day before, nailed a rotten potato squarely into Joshua's groin.

"Bullseye!" he shouted proudly as Joshua crumpled to the ground, clutching himself in agony. The crowd howled with laughter.

Grace sighed, giving his chain a soft tug. "I know this is harsh… but the longer you stay down, the longer it lasts. Get up, Joshua."

More laughter followed, along with crude jokes about Joshua's manhood.

And then, silence.

Blanchette stepped into view at the end of the street, a living bolt of vengeance wrapped in black and grey. Her eyes scanned the crowd, the guards, the priest, and finally landed on Joshua, who stared up at her in stunned disbelief.

The priest stepped forward, sneering. "Are you here to stop the parade because you're romantically involved with this beast, Princess? Not even your family can challenge the will of the Church..."

Blanchette ignored him, hopping on her toes and loosening her wrists. She untied the knuckle busters gauntlets from her belt and slipped them on.

"What is the meaning of this?" the priest demanded. "And what is that attire? You look like a common thug. What are you planning to do..."

He was still talking when Blanchette's fist crashed into his jaw.

CRACK!

The priest's eyes bulged as the spikes of her knuckle busters tore into his face. He was launched off the ground, spinning through the air like a ragdoll before hitting the cobblestones with a brutal thud. He tumbled until he finally lay still, broken and bloodied.

Gasps filled the square. The world seemed to freeze.

Then, to everyone's surprise, the priest groaned. He pushed himself upright slightly, his face a mangled wreck, blood pouring from a torn cheek.

"K-Kill the bitch!!" he screamed.

The city guards sprang into action, blades drawn. But Blanchette was faster.

She moved like lightning, dodging every attack with grace and precision, then countering with devastating blows. Each guard collapsed one after another, groaning on the ground, bleeding and broken.

The street ran red.

Across the battlefield, two holy knights stepped forward.

Joan, tall and poised, unsheathed her golden longsword. "If it isn't Blanchette Kaizer… once destined to be the greatest noble knight of our generation, but you quit because you said you had nothing to fight for. But I see… you're fighting now."

Her eyes gleamed, glowing with a radiant golden cross at the center of each pupil.

Grace followed, also drawing her sword, her expression calm but intense. "Since the dawn of time, the world has asked, What's stronger? A noble knight born from royal blood… or a holy knight blessed by God?"

Her own eyes shone with divine power.

"I suppose we find out today."

Blanchette dropped into her MMA stance, shoulders relaxed, knees bent, eyes locked forward.

She smiled.

"Come on then. Let's find out."