Iris Ascarid

Iris Ascarid real name Iris Gaule was an A-Ranked Blazer in the League of Mage-Knight Nations and also a former fourth-ranked in KOK A-League known as the Black Knight as well as a Desperado.

Appearance
Ascarid had grayish-white hair and a red and blue differing eye color, similarly to her brother. She is often wearing her black Armor-Device, thus covering her appearance. Underneath her armor, she had a slender, voluptuous body and was considered very beautiful. She was seen wearing a white sleeveless dress decorated by green ornament in some places.

Personality
Ascarid is a dutiful person, who has great respect for her superiors. She feels that she should handle her problems alone and unafraid. Despite her courage, she is sometimes overcome with fear, especially by her brother. She also bears a strong hatred for her brother, Or-Gaule, her actions were fueled by her wish to bring him down.

Ascarid is also very calm, stoic, and quiet most of the time, usually responds by nodding and rarely speaks and if so it’ be calmly yet briefly. She is also kind and protective of others as she often let others wear her armor in order to heal them. She also has a great sense of duty, probably as a result of trauma and terror from her brother.

Despite her hatred towards Or-Gaule, Ascarid remembers her oath to protect him (on the day he was born) and prevented Stella from killing him and letting him escape. After she lost to Ikki she apologizes to him for her loss, proof that despite all the horrible things he did she still loves him as a family.

History
During her childhood, Iris lived in a small village in France. On the 10th birthday of her little brother Orleus, who would later be known as Or-Gaule, he trapped all of the residents of the village in the chapel and used his Blazer abilities to take control of them. Or-Gaule killed all of the people, with the exception of Iris, who also reached her "Awakening" and became a Desperado. Ascarid was saved by the police that broke into the chapel, but Or-Gaule escaped, using Iris to stall the police. This incident became known as La Croix Sanglant, and it was covered up by the League of Mage-Knight Nations.

After the incident, Iris was taken in by Levi Ascarid, the Leader of the France Branch of the League, who adopted her and raised her. Iris also adopted her surname. Levi also ignited Ascarid's hatred towards Or-Gaule, catching and killing him becoming her main goal.

Two years before the story, Iris met Ranbalt Raab during a meeting between France and USA where she acted as a bodyguard for the President of France. Iris entered the KOK A-League a year before the story and quickly rose to the 4th rank. She lost once to Carlo Bertoni in the A-League.

The Festival is Over
Iris first appears after the Seven Stars Sword Art Festival, at the meeting between Ikki, Stella, Nene, Kurono, and Bakuga. She wants to test Ikki's and Stella's strength, to which Nene, Kurono, and Bakuga agreed to as they wanted Ikki and Stella to experience the strength of a top-class Blazer. After testing their strength, Iris leaves.

The Opening of a Tragedy
Iris is told by Norman Creed that Or-Gaule has been spotted in Cradleland. She then leaves to apprehend Or-Gaule with Norman giving her one of his Divine Gate's knives that have the ability of teleportation.

The Nation Named Vermillion
Later when Or-Gaule is fighting Stella, Ikki, and Lunaeyes, Iris intervenes to save them. She then teleports them away with one of Norman's knives and uses her armor to heal Ikki.

Kardia Urban Warfare
Iris later participates in the Battle of Kardia between Vermillion and Cradleland. She saves Ikki from Big Baby, by scaring the latter away. The battle is stopped when Lunaeyes declares the tournament between the two nations will be held.

Responsibilities as a Royalty
After the announcement, it's decided that the tournament will be held a week later, with both countries choosing 5 representatives, with only people currently in the countries being allowed to participate. The tournament itself will be a battle royale. Iris is chosen as one of the representatives of Vermillion, along with Stella, Ikki, Nene, and Yui Tatara. Iris also chooses to accompany Stella to meet Edelweiss.

White Summit
Iris, Stella, Ikki and Tatara arrive at a small village near Edelberg, a mountain where Edelweiss lives. There is also numerous other Blazers present, with the team almost picking a fight with a mercenary group named Murder Entry. They are though stopped by two other Blazers. These Blazers are revealed to be Yoshikazu Kiba, a former Japanese competitor in the KOK A-League, and Ranbalt Raab, a commanding officer in the US Secret Service. They though decide to continue on, with Stella flying and carrying Ikki and Ascarid, while Tatara uses her Total Reflect to bounce across the sky.

When they all arrive at a cabin where Edelweiss lives, Stella attempts to challenge Edelweiss, but Stella can't even move due to the immense aura of Edelweiss. Stella then asks Edelweiss to train her, to which the latter agrees, on the condition that Stella will protect the cabin from invaders for six days without the help. Iris warns Stella about Edelweiss' Noble Art, Rule of Grace and is forced to swear along with Ikki and Tatara that they won't help Stella.

Intense Cold Trial
Iris and Tatara later watch, while Stella fights dozens of Blazers alone, as they can't help her. Stella though manages to defeat the Blazers, with the advice of Yui. On the 5th day while they are in a bath, Stella asks Iris about her past. Iris tells Stella and Tatara about the La Croix Sanglant incident, and how she has been trying to find Or-Gaule ever since.

The Assassin from Shinryuu Temple
Iris later watches the battle between Stella and Fu Xiaoli, who is one of the Four Sages of Shinryuu Temple. Despite Xiaoli being a Desperado, and being able to copy Stella's abilities, Stella manages to beat her. Despite Stella fulfilling Edelweiss' agreement, she decides to return back to Vermillion along with the rest of the group.

Imperial War Outbreak
Team Vermillion and Team Cradleland finally meet in the tournament, held in the capital of Cradleland, Lucier. As the battle begins, Naseem launches everyone into the air, except Nene. Iris lands safely and is confronted by puppets of young children, who act a scene of the La Croix Sanglant incident. Iris destroys them in a rage and then faces Or-Gaule.

Storm and Stress
As they battle, Iris relentlessly attacks Or-Gaule, who uses his strings to maneuver through the battlefield. Due to her regeneration ability, Iris is able to sustain all the damage caused by Or-Gaule and manages to cause damage to him. Or-Gaule attempts to flee, but he is attacked by the recently arrived Stella.

Unpermitted Wish
Iris and Stella are working together to defeat Or-Gaule. As Or-Gaule is about to be defeated, Iris remembers her true wish of wanting to protect Or-Gaule and so turns against Stella. Ikki then arrives and prevents Iris from leaving while Stella chases after Or-Gaule.

Sword God
Iris fights against Ikki and seems to have the upper hand after using her trump card Noble Art, Regeneration Overdose. In the end, she is defeated by Ikki who uses his final secret sword, Oikage, to break apart her armor. The blade cuts through the armor and inflicts a deep laceration on Iris's abdomen. The cut is described as reaching her spine, severing parts of her intestines, and rendering her large intestine into multiple sections, making normal bodily functions impossible. The strain of her endless regeneration technique and other wounds on her body can't be healed since her armor was gone. The armor, previously protecting her, now contributes to her demise as she loses its healing capabilities. The wounds caused by Ikki's attack lead to a cascade of catastrophic events within her body. Her own efforts to regenerate intensify the damage, causing her internal organs to rupture. Her pulse ruptures her internal organs, tension tears muscles, and the attempt to drive an overly strong body results in high blood pressure, leading to the destruction of brain tissues.

Here is the commentator words at the end of their fight:

"Two figures clash! A dominating Iaido strike, the 'Oikage,' unfolds in the midst of the Seven Stars Sword Art Festival. A swift motion, one hand raising the blade and then descending!"

"Preparing to deliver a fatal blow, the 'Black Knight,' clad in the 'Invincible Armor,' is carved open, abdomen exposed!"

As she lays dying in Ikki’s arms, she apologizes to her brother for not winning. Ikki then lays her dead body down respectfully while being shaken from having killed her with his own hands.

Or-Gaule is later defeated by Stella, with his body turned into ash. It is mentioned later that Iris' body and Or-Gaule's ashes will be buried in their hometown.

Abilities
Desperado: Iris is a Desperado, a being that has broken the chains of fate. As a Desperado, she has far greater magic power than even the strongest of normal Blazer, as well as being able to influence fate.

Indomitable Manipulation: Iris' ability as a Blazer. She is able to manipulate the concept of "indomitable", which lets her heal her injuries wearing her armor.

Immense Strength: Iris has shown to be tremendous strength as one of the top players in the KOK Tournament, it has been shown that she was able to break the reinforced ring using a single attack. Stella had states that her strength is in the same league as Ouma, who endangered his life in order to undergo a forceful metamorphosis, which shortened his lifespan. Iris was able to create a small whirlwind by swinging her halberd around her head and stop Big Baby's stomp, in his giant form.

Immense Speed: Iris was very fast, even being able to cut Or-Gaule's arm before the latter is able to respond.

Immense Endurance: Iris was able to withstand immense amounts of pain, being able to continue fighting while Or-Gaule's strings suffocate her. This endurance is greatly enhanced by her ability.

Master Spearmanship: Iris was extremely skilled in wielding her halberd. enough to be able to keep up with Ikki with ease.

Stealth Master: Iris was very skilled at hiding her presence when she wanted to. She was to infiltrate Cradleland while it was under Or-Gaule control without him noticing her until she showed herself, thus she credits this to her younger brother relining too much on magic power. Even someone as trained as Ikki had to concentrate his five senses to properly see Iris and quickly lost sight of her the moment he was distracted.

Device
Orichalcos: Ascarid's Device takes the form as a full set of black armor, as well as a black halberd as her weapon.
 * Infinite Regeneration: This is the main and renown power of both her Orichalcos and Indomitable, which heals injuries no matter how severe quickly as long as the wearer has the armor on. Iris can also heal others by lending them her armor, which healed Ikki to full health after using his Ittou Rasetsu despite the harsh side-effects. Aside from injuries her device also recovers her stamina granting her nearly unlimited amount.
 * Regeneration Overdose : Iris' trump card and strongest Noble Art, which continues to regenerate her from the damage she receives, while also making her stronger the more damage she receives. Moreover, the accumulation of strength she receives is permanent thus making her far stronger and faster as the battle continues. However, Regeneration Overdose has a major drawback as without the regenerative powers of her Orichalcos, then her body will begin to self-destruct with not even the capsules able to heal her since the strengthening it permanent resulting in her death.

Trivia

 * She was the first opponent that Ikki Kurogane killed in battle.