The Cursed Iris

Sprout 37: Minori the Alpha

Ayame was asleep next to Katsumi, but the strange thing was that she wasn't having a dream like she usually did, Foolish girl, what will you choose? a voice asked.

"What will I choose?" Ayame asked nervously.

Yes girl! What will you choose? Will you choose destruction or salvation? The ones before you chose wrong, so will you follow their path, or will you create your own?

She was even more confused, and then she appeared in a dark space with a girl that looked the same as her, "W-who are you?" Ayame stammered.

Choose Ayame Akiyama! Salvation or Destruction?

"I-I don't know what you mean," she replied nervously.

Foolish girl I'm afraid you're not ready for what is to come. The other incarnations weren't ready, and you will never be.

The dark space then shimmered, and Ayame appeared at a castle. It was grand with white blocks on the outside and what seemed like another combination of oak wood as well. There was an ornament atop the castle that looked a dragon. Ayame got a familiar feeling from this place.

"Where am I?" she wondered.

Ayame Akiyama you are to decide the fate of time itself.

The other Ayame appeared next to her, "Weak, insignificant, sad excuse for an incarnation," she said sizing Ayame up.

I can't believe fate decided to choose you. Especially when there were so many options at hand. Interesting as you may be, you are still a failure as an Iris.

Ayame felt like she was being ganged up on because that mysterious voice and the other version of her were both hurling those insults. She didn't know why either. She couldn't even figure out where the heck the dream came from in the first place.

"Hurry and learn. Grow stronger before the singularity is here," the other her stated.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Cut the girl some slack. She's just gotten here, plus she has a lot to compete with, another voice said. Ayame didn't recognize it, but she was glad to have someone on her side.

A woman who wore black and gold female knight armor appeared. She wore a skirt and a cape as well to match the armor, not only that, but her boots and undergarments matched, she had peach-blonde hair with white tips, she had a slim figure with curves in the right places, golden eyes. She looked like she was a mix between two ethnicities like Japanese and European, but she had a confident air about herself.

"Who are you?" Ayame asked.

The woman smiled, and Ayame instantly felt like she may fall for the woman, "The name is Minori Mikado. I called you here because I wanted to talk to you," she said.

Ayame wondered why did Minori words sound so smooth and soothing, "A-about what?" she asked. She was trying to fix her hair hoping that it wasn't messed up, then she remembered that she was in a dream or whatever this was.

"Ayame Akiyama, so you're the next incarnation?" Minori inspected her, "I can see why they chose you, but I can also see why others are having doubts as well," she noted.

"Gee thanks," Ayame sighed, feeling her confidence dropping again.

"No need to be down about that. I've taken a keen interest in you for that exact reason. Everyone has taken an interest in you to be fair."

"Really, why though? I don't think I'm anything spectacular to be honest," Ayame shrugged. "But then I remember what Miya had said to me about the safflower thing."