Kirche von Zerbst

Kirche Augusta Frederica von Anhalt Zerbst (キュルケ・オーガスタ・フレデリカ·ヴォン·アンハルト・ツェルプスト, Kyuruke Ōgasuta Furederika von Anharuto Tsērupusuto) is a student of Tristain Academy of Magic, hailing from the Empire of Germania and specializing in fire magic.

Background
Kirche comes from a noble family in Germania with a military background. In the past, Kirche left Vindobona Academy of Magic in her hometown, leaving her no choice but to go abroad to get an education. Her parents in Zerbst planned to marry her off with an old man, specifically a marquis, but Kirche, with no desire to be married at the time, flew literally out of Germania to go to Tristain.

Appearance
Kirche is a tall, young woman with long, red hair, large breasts, and brownish-gold eyes. On her neck lays a gold necklace-like ring and wears a black cloak pinned into a pin with the symbol of the academy. She wears a white, fitted, long-sleeved blouse, which leaves her large bust exposed. She wore black, short skirt and a pair of long, gold boots which reaches her skirt.

Personality
Kirche has a flirtatious personality which she uses to seduce men. She tries her best to get the attention of her latest target, for example, Saito, who was bought a cheap sword by Louise, was purchased another but more luxurious sword by Kirche. Aside from bullying Louise, Kirche also seemed to be euphemistic or softened of her, yet only in perilous circumstances.

Despite her flirtatious nature, she is also a caring friend, especially to Tabitha.

Entrance Ceremony
During a class under Professor Chevreuse, the latter demonstrates a spell converting pebbles to brass, which Kirche thought to be gold. When the professor asks Louise de la Vallière to demonstrate it, Kirche is among the students who continuously tried to stop Louise from doing so, but to no avail. After the incident, Kirche, along with Montmorency de Montmorency and Tabitha, insults Louise and expects a punishment for her. She further annoys Louise at the thought of the kind of familiar spirit the latter would summon. Louise berates Kirche and assures the latter that she shall summon something far greater than hers, to which Kirche and her company becomes confused at.

During the exam, Kirche summons a salamander, quite fittingly for a mage of her prowess and affinity. She tells Professor Colbert that Louise has not yet performed the ritual and sarcastically chides Louise into summoning a "divine, beautiful, and powerful" familiar spirit. When Louise summons a human, Kirche laughs at her failure for summoning a plebeian.

Later that night, Kirche bathes and receives a knock from a student. When they go for a date, Kirche and the student notice Saito, followed by Guiche de Gramont and Louise. When Guiche levitates Saito, Kirche laughs at the thought of Louise's familiar fleeing from its master.

The Plebeian Familiar Spirit
At Alvíss Dining Hall, Kirche and Montmorency have breakfast, where the former remarks upon the arrival of Louise and Saito, the famous plebeian that was summoned by Louise. After breakfast, Kirche and Flame encounter Louise and Saito, sarcastically teasing Louise that her familiar shall not run away from her, unlike her familiar. During the duel at Vestri Field, Kirche comments that Saito never fails to amuse her, as she watches the two together with Tabitha. When Saito wins against Guiche, Kirche lets out a smile, becoming intrigued with Saito.

In a class with Chevreuse, Kirche tells her that one student cannot perform even one element, with the class being unanimous that the student is Louise. Later that night, Kirche has her familiar bring Saito to her room. Kirche seduces Saito and confesses her love for him. Just as she is about to kiss him, Styx levitates outside and interrupts, telling her that she did not show up at their promised time; Kirche delays their appointment to the following two hours and blasts him off with fire. Kirche again confesses her love to Saito and tries to kiss him again, only to be interrupted again by Pelisson this time; Kirche blasts him off again. For the third time, they are interrupted by Manicamp, Ajax, and Gimli; Kirche changes their appointment to the next six hours, but they contest this; at Kirche's annoyance, they are all blasted by Flame. For the last time, Louise enters the room and orders Saito to come with her at once. Kirche stops her, telling her that he is a proper human despite being a familiar. Blackmailed that many of Kirche's suitors would skewer him to pieces, Saito decides to leave with his master.

Void Day
The next day, Kirche is thinking of how she would seduce Saito. She hears Louise and Saito on horseback outside and decides to trail them. Before doing so, she visits Tabitha (who is anticipating her and readily casts a spell to silence Kirche) and enlists her help to know their location; through Sylphid, Kirche and Tabitha look for Louise and Saito. Trailing them, Kirche decides to buy the original sword for Saito as a present after seducing the sword shop seller, ultimately reducing the price to 500 gold coins. After a heated exchange of insults and words, Kirche and Louise decide to hold a duel, but to no avail as Tabitha levitates their wands and prevent them from dueling indoors. They opt to have Saito decide which sword he wishes to take, to which he chooses both. The two decide to hold a duel, but a mysterious voice suddenly calls them "stupid women" to stop. The two ladies stare angrily at Saito, but Tabitha informs them of the sword that just talked. The sword is indeed an Intelligent Sword, a sword with its own wisdom. Saito becomes amused at Louise's sword—Derflinger—and chooses it over Kirche's sword.

Post-Void Day
The following night, Kirche in her nightgown (again) encounters Saito and tells him that she is going to give him the sword she priorly bought for him, but only if they have some "fun" first. After seemingly upsetting him, Kirche tries to give him other treasures, such as a talisman ring, an earring of a fire-eater bird's blood, and even her family heirloom, but Saito rejects all of these. Eventually, Louise bursts the door open and fetches Saito back to their room. The next day at supper, Kirche and Louise (who are looking for him) are informed by Guiche that the missing Saito possibly went to Mott's manor. Upon the return of Saito at night, he goes to Kirche's room to ask for her family's heirloom, but to no avail. In the middle of the evening, she, along with Tabitha, wakes Louise and tells her that Saito has left. Upon arriving at the manor, after the ensuing battle, the students express their apology to Mott and try to talk their way out, but Kirche freely offers the Count her family heirloom to him, introducing herself to him as a Zerbst. Mott frees Siesta to them as he reads the book, which is actually an old Japanese porn magazine.

Fouquet Strikes
Kirche practices Flame with some flamethrowing and flame dance for the Familiar Exhibition, later doting upon the salamander. Later, Princess Henrietta arrives at the Academy, welcomed by the students and staff. As Guiche marvels at the beauty of the princess, Kirche disagrees with him, remarking that she herself is more beautiful than Henrietta. As the Familiar Exhibition commences, Kirche and Flame perform some flamethrowing like what they have practiced the day before. However, she becomes downtrodden after knowing that her familiar did not win. After Fouquet escapes from her burglary, Kirche asks Tabitha if she saw Fouquet's face when she rode Sylphid and surveyed the area, but Tabitha disagrees, as the thief was cloaked.

The next day at the Academy, Kirche feeds Saito some fruits, irritating Louise. As they talk about the incident regarding Fouquet, Colbert calls for Louise and Tabitha to come to the headmaster's office, though Kirche and Saito tag along as well. Longuevuille briefs them on their gathered information about the thief and shows them a sketch of Fouquet, further confirmed by Louise and Tabitha. Amidst suggestions to seek help from the Palace, Osmond decides to take the matters at hand, asking help from his fellow mages who wish to take the mission in catching the thief. Not one from them are up for the challenge, except for Louise and, later, Kirche and Tabitha. Longuevuille volunteers to go with them as their guide.

As they head out in their mission, Longuevuille explains how some mages are not necessarily nobles, as some have been demoted to peasants, just like her case. Kirche asks her how she lost her rank, but Louise stops her "rude" behaviour. Eventually, Kirche gives Saito the shiny sword she had purchased for him. Later, they stop near a shack that is believed to be Fouquet's hideout. Upon preliminary inspection, there seems to be no traps, so they head inside to further check. Louise leaves herself behind to guard outside, while Longuevuille would scout the surrounding area. Inside, Saito and Kirche do not find anything, though Tabitha discovers the Staff of Destruction. Just then, a golem attacks them; Tabitha and Kirche attack it, but fail to take it down. Kirche and Tabitha ride Sylphid (whom the latter had summoned) and takes Louise out of the scene for Saito to fight the golem. Ultimately, Kirche becomes proud of Saito after defeating the golem and Fouquet. Back at the Academy, Osmond reports that Fouquet has been taken into custody and that the Staff of Destruction is secured in the Academy Vault. He tells them at the three of them (minus Saito) are guests of honour in the banquet later at night.

Academy Summer Vacation
Kirche and Tabitha depart to Gallia (Tabitha's hometown) for the summer holiday. In the carriage, Kirche narrates to Tabitha about her coming to Tristain from Germania as a result of her troubles, a method she uses to have small talk with her quiet companion. They are halted by an inhabitant who warns them of the impassable road ahead due to Lake Lagdorian overflowing.

Later, they arrive at Tabitha's home, where Kirche discovers that she is from the Royal Family of Gallia. They are welcomed by Percerin, the family butler. Kirche wishes to express her salutations to Tabitha's father, but Tabitha only shrugs her head and leaves. Percerin serves Kirche some tea and exchange formalities. Percerin proceeds to tell the background of Tabitha and her unfortunate past, including her father's murder, her mother's decline in sanity, and her dangerous adolescence.

At night, Tabitha accepts a dangerous order from the king, though Kirche tells her she shall go with her. Later, in Tabitha's sleep, Kirche cradles her as she seemingly experiences a nightmare.

The next day, in search of the Spirit of Water, Guiche and Saito engage Kirche and Tabitha (albeit mistaken as attackers) in battle, but they overpower them. Louise steps in to save Saito and manages an explosion; the hooded figures are actually Kirche and Tabitha, who are in the middle of a mission to defeat the Spirit of Water. The whole group then goes back to the Spirit of Water to ask the reason behind its anger. The Spirit tells them that their possession — the Ring of Andvari — was stolen by someone called Cromwell, leading them to overflow the water in search of it; Saito promises to find and return it. The Spirit believes him, recognising him as Gandálfr who once kept an oath to the Spirit in the past, hence offering them the Spirit Tear.

Trivia

 * "Kirche" means "Church" in German.
 * Kirche is named after Sophia Augusta Fredericka von Anhalt-Zerbst, also known as Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia.
 * Her favorite food is Baked Bird of Paradise.
 * She hates rain and Louise, previously.
 * Her hobby is solving jigsaw puzzles and she has a special skill in playing the harp.

Quotes

 * (To Louise) "I don't know what kind of familiar spirit you will summon."
 * (To Louise) "Love and fire are the destinies of the Von Zerbst family. I only wish to burn in flames of love."