Adventures of the Lightborn Squad

Training At The Moniyan Empire

Cover art: https://www.instagram.com/nannoeri_21/

PART 1

Granger enjoys training.

He likes the feeling of his body getting stronger. He likes seeing his bullets hit their targets perfectly. He likes to spar.

Usually it's with Alucard but sometimes it's with Fanny if they happen to be at the training grounds at the same time. 

Sparring with Fanny is very different from Alucard - Alucard favours using brute force but Fanny is much more nimble and her reaction time is a lot quicker. Granger's learnt to move a lot faster when sparring with her, and he's had to use his taught dash technique many times in order to evade her.

Today though, he's watching someone else train instead.

Princess Silvanna usually wields a lance, her weapon of choice. Doesn't mean she only trains with that. Today, she's simply bare-fisted.

"Sometimes, we don't have the luxury of our favourite weapons with us." Tigreal instructs. "You must know how to wield anything. And anything, even your own body, can be used as a weapon."

Which is why the Princess is now circling an imperial knight, both of them just in their armour and with no weapons.

"Let's go, Princess!" Harith, Fanny and Alucard cheer, along with other imperial knights and knightesses who have come to watch the training.

Granger has slight doubts. It's not that the Princess can't handle whatever is thrown at her, or that he doubts Tigreal's judgement, but he has slight anxiety now watching a man twice Silvanna's weight circling her.

The man strikes, and the Princess blocks his attack with a counter of her own. When the knight has a hold of her arm, she twists his shoulder into an awkward angle, causing him to double down and for her knee to meet his stomach perfectly.

They circle again.

She aims a kick at his chest but he's expecting it, and off-balance, he throws her to the ground easily. The Princess groans, but she also gets up a moment later.

The man twists the Princess' arm painfully, and she cries out but doesn't yield. Instead, she elbows his face so he would let go of her. She rips off the blue ribbon that she wears around her neck, and twists perfectly so the ribbon chokes him around his neck. Natalia, watching from the sidelines, nods approvingly.

"Again!" Tigreal calls out.

Silvanna lets go of the man, and they circle again.

She deflects another two punches, before he gets the upper hand, twisting her around, his elbow wrapping her throat. He moves with her as she struggles out of the headlock.

Granger watches open-mouthed as the Princess flips the man over. She's learnt how to use her body to her advantage after all, or more like use her opponent's body as his disadvantage. She had swiped the back of the man's knees, and leveraged on his lack of balance, causing him to crash down.

He groans but doesn't get up, and there's clapping, shouting and wolf-whistling from the men and women watching, Harith jumping up and down. 

The Princess stands up, triumphant, ignoring the sweat on her face and the dirt on her armour and cheek.

Fuck yes.

Granger unwittingly feels a little heat at the sight, and it doesn't go unnoticed. The demon hunter next to him tilts his head.

"Coin for your thoughts?" Alucard raises his eyebrow.

"No, no thoughts at all." Granger stammers, although the blush staining his cheeks betrays him. His closest friend just throws his head back and laughs.

***

Later, Granger slips into the royal bedchambers (by now the guard at the door doesn't even blink when he sees Granger) and heads for the sound of running water, while undoing his jacket and pulling off his shirt. 

He hears the sound of soft humming and sees her armour along with a pair of high heeled boots on the ground.

From the bathroom, he heard a feminine voice say, "The water's still warm if you want to join me."

Granger undos the buckle on his belt.

He knows the Princess is longing to see him as much as he is to see her.

Granger enjoys training very much. Sometimes he enjoys getting cleaned up after training just as much.

And maybe, y'know, after that they could find another use for that blue piece of ribbon.

***

PART 2

"I don't want to fight you." Princess Silvanna says doubtfully.

"Come on, sure you do." Granger says. They're at the training grounds, watching a few other people already sparring.

"Okay, I guess." Silvanna decides.

They find an empty spot and start circling each other.

"Do not go easy on me," Silvanna says.

***

Silvanna's trying to struggle out of Granger's headlock, but he holds on tight. He steals a quick kiss to her right cheek.

"Your left side was wide open. You need to remember to protect your left side." He says.

She retaliates by elbowing him in the stomach. He releases her with a surprised grunt.

"You need to protect your left side too," she smirks. They circle again.

Silvanna lunges at Granger, and he catches a glimpse of her challenging smile.

***

Granger gasps as he's knocked on his back. 

Silvanna uses the momentum to drop on top of him, one knee hitting the grass while the other presses his chest, keeping him down. They hear cheering and even a wolf whistle.

"Hmm." Silvanna smiles. "Maybe I do want to fight you."

Granger returns the smile.

***