The Order of the Rose cut the men-at-arms of Knight Soliatus with ease. The blood fluttered down akin to rose petals. Underneath the cloaks each had a variety of knives and light leather armor. Various pieces of different shades of red were sewn on them. Her eyes locked with the half-angel. The half-angel flowed with strength, and Iris couldn’t help but softly grin. A gesture that the enemy returned in kind, only wider with an edge of sharpness.

The two rushed at each other, slaying any enemies who crossed their paths. The dance had begun, one in which either one could be killed. As their blades danced, Iris could sense the bloodthirsty nature of her opponent. A sudden quick thrust from her enemy's dagger grazed her hair. While Iris’s blade grazed the angel's cloak.

“You’re fast,” the enemy grinned wide, “sister.” She brought her leg up for a kick and Iris dodged backwards. Two small knives flew towards her, she narrowly dodged them. The two closed in and locked blades once again. This time her opponent had a second dagger in hand.

“And,” Iris dodged to her left, “your name?”

The enemy angel took a step back, a soldier of Soliatus and a battle maiden appeared behind her trying to sneak a hit. The angel quickly slid to the side, seeming to flow off of her enemies’ blades. She sunk her dagger into the side of the maiden. Pushing off and slashing the soldier across the throat. Her face had dots of blood on it. “Call me, Namania.”

Iris nodded, taking the name to heart, two members of the roses lunged at her. She followed her enemy's example, effortlessly dodging and bringing her blade across one man’s chest. Her blade surfed over the flesh of the other, and a spur of blood erupted from the wound. Bowing, she told Namania her own name. “I am Iris.”

“Ahh,” she let it hang in the air, a wide grin across her face. She tilted her head to the side, her dirty white hair attempted to hide her glowing yellow eyes. “I heard of your swordplay, a dance of flaming water?”

Iris nodded in response. “And what of you?”

Namania looked away for a moment. “I’ll call it, the dance of the bloody rose.”

Namania took the offensive again, leading with throwing knives, three to be exact. Iris hit two out of the air and then dodged the last one. It grazed her head, cutting her blindfold and causing a trickle of blood. The blindfold fell to the ground and she managed to barely counter a low blow from Namania. The two struggled to gain the upper hand, exchanging strike for strike. The blades sang in a duet, while the footwork showed the styles of the two. Namania’s was erratic and sudden, giving an aggressive edge to it. Iris’s was quick and methodical, it was lacking emotion but had a precise edge. Iris attempted to dodge but was slashed across her shoulder. This time it seemed Namania’s range was longer. Dots of dark blood sprinkled her face as she flicked the blade upward. She stuck out her tongue, “An angel bleeds darker, yours is almost black, how's that?”

“I was gifted with a high amount of angelic-blood.”

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“I’ve only seen one other with blood this dark.”

The blood around her blades seemed to float and flowed around the daggers themselves. Namania smiled at Iris, and then charged at her. Her first couple strikes were normal, then suddenly would be lengthened. The blood around the blade shot outwards and cut Iris. With each cut more blood would float around the blade. It would be a race against time. Each strike that hit would increase Namania’s range. Iris knew she simply couldn’t dodge every attack.

The intense battle gave Iris a surprising sense of focus and emotions. She hadn’t felt this since her sparring sessions with Lady Grace. Onlookers were stunned in shock, with even Knight Soliatus, Lady Ann, Lady Elizabeth, and even the Duke and his son looking over in awe. A bout which captivated all around them.

As the fighting became more frantic, both were smiling between exhausted breaths. Namaina had a grin filled with spite, while Iris had an eerie smirk. Both were injured as Iris had begun using her non-dominant arm to absorb blows she couldn't block. While Namaina had a deep cut above her right eye. Causing dark blood to obscure her vision.

“You, sister, are foolish to follow the betrayer of the Goddess Aurora.” Namaina said in between blows from Iris.

“We may follow the Martyred Lady,” Iris managed to land another hit on Namaina, slicing her thigh. Namaina was forced on the defensive. “But she was a martyred disciple.”

Namaina responded to her words laced with venom. “She betrayed Aurora, just like she betrayed me.”

Iris was confused at this, what was Namaina speaking of? Everyone even remotely knowledgeable about angels knew they were created directly from the Goddess. A betrayal, she hadn’t learned of that before.

Namaina leaped backwards, having managed to create distance. She threw some daggers, Iris blocked them, with one targeting her throat barely missing.

“Why should I listen to your lies, you’ve fallen, and,” she managed to dodge a blow and counter with a shallow cut on Namaina’s chest. “Your lies will not affect my emotions.”

“Lies?” Namaina snorted at this, “Ask Lady Grace of these lies.”

“Lady Grace?”

She leaped at Iris, who didn’t even have time to process her words. Namaina laughed, “Ahh, it seems the records were purged.”

At this point the battle could go on no longer, one of the two would make a fatal mistake. Namaina was overly aggressive, taking any opportunity to close in on Iris. if she landed more strikes the greater her chance of victory. Iris mulled over how she could win the duel. Namaina’s right eye was partially blinded, which gave her a major advantage. If Iris could get her to attack while facing the sun, then this would only compound her vision loss. Iris moved to the appropriate position and took a close guard stance. Namaina saw this and rushed in to take advantage. Shifting her weight, she changed her angle and blocked the first dagger, rays of light passing from behind her. Namaina had trouble seeing but had already committed driving her dagger with enhanced range into Iris’s torso.

The light, whitish blue blade of her sword sunk into the chest of Namaina, it was done. The blade had sunk deep and Iris pierced her vitals with precision. Iris gracefully dislodged her blade. Namaina dropped her daggers, putting her hands up to the wound. Coughing up dark blood she stumbled forward. Dark blood was seeping out and dripping onto the ground.

It was now light out, the darkness behind them had faded away. Namaina’s face was bloody and her yellow eyes glowed dull. Facing the sun she turned slightly towards Iris. “You,” She struggled to get the words out, and turned away. “To think you’d have so much of her blood. But I stil-” She coughed, swaying sideways. The rays of light were blinding, but Iris still saw her outline. “Have to see her again,” Namaina stumbled, falling to her knees. “She was right-.”

She hit the ground with a thud, still and silent, one final breath leaving her body. The dark angelic blood flowed from out underneath her. Iris stared at her, as her maidens rushed to her aid. She had done it, killed a member of her kin.