Seiya loved his new little sister.
It would not be an exaggeration to say enormously.
Gigantically.
Extremely.
Take your pick.
He’d always been fond of Sirin in his previous life as well—like any self-respecting Captain would be—shouting:
“That’s my daughter!”
and
“Screw you, Otto!”
during the Second Eruption manga, outraged by the blonde-haired bastard’s actions.
It was only during Thus Spoke Apocalypse that he grew to respect Otto even a little, though dislike still remained the dominant emotion shaping Seiya’s opinion of him.
And so, now that he had a Sirin to hug and kiss, his dream had definitely come true~!
Case in point:
Seiya was currently tickling and peppering Sirin with kisses like there was no tomorrow after returning home from work.
Normally, he wouldn’t have been able to split firewood in half with a single swing of an axe, but ever since being reincarnated, his physical abilities had increased tremendously.
“Not even a concrete wall would stand a chance against this Sir now~!”
A chibi Seiya puffed out his chest proudly within his mental landscape, a smug expression adorning his tiny face.
“I’ll need more than that to survive the entirety of the Honkai plotline, but we’ll burn that bridge when we come to it~”
Seiya thought offhandedly, though currently he was drowning in bliss from the delighted laughter escaping little Sirin.
UmU.
So this was what being a parent felt like?
Truly worth it.
“Big Brother Seiya, did you get me anything from town while you were gone?”
Sirin asked hopefully, wrapping her arms and legs around him as she clung to his standing figure with surprising skill.
Like an Olympic athlete climbing a pole with ropes.
Except the ropes were her limbs.
And the pole was sentient and actively trying not to let her fall.
As Seiya hoisted her higher, he suffered a devastating critical hit.
Dazed!
Stun Locked!
That pleading expression was simply too cute.
Laughing softly, he sat down on the armchair beside the fire while Sirin immediately curled into his lap like a kitten demanding treats.
Her hopeful gaze peeked up at him through half-lidded golden eyes.
She was eleven and a half now.
Still childlike.
Still small enough to fit comfortably in his lap.
Seiya already mourned the future tragedy of that no longer being possible.
He gently nuzzled beneath her chin with his nose, causing Sirin to let out a delighted little purr before immediately retaliating by peppering his cheeks and nose with kisses of her own.
“So~?
Didya get me anything?” she asked again hopefully.
Seiya’s response was to shove a buttermilk candy directly into her mouth mid-sentence.
Sirin’s eyes sparkled instantly.
She happily nuzzled into Seiya’s chest as sibling affection practically saturated the air around them.
Originally, Seiya had felt guilty about taking over this body.
But then he realized that if the parents had died in the snowstorm, then the previous owner of this body had most likely perished as well.
Which meant the body had been empty when he inherited it.
“Definitely~!”
Chibi Seiya nodded emphatically inside his mind.
Unfortunately, his mood soon soured.
Looking out the window, his golden eyes landed upon the gigantic metallic tower looming in the distance, construction having finished merely a week ago.
A blemish upon the otherwise mesmerizing tundra.
Babylon Tower.
Unfortunately…
He would probably have to let canon happen.
Or maybe not?
Perhaps he could take Sirin’s place instead?
Eh?
What did you mean he hadn’t checked whether he possessed enough Honkai resistance to survive?
Don’t be ridiculous.
If he’d been reincarnated into the Honkaiverse, then surely he possessed enough resistance to survive a few measly experiments.
Otherwise this would be a trash isekai.
Chibi Seiya nodded sagely.
Truly the pinnacle of intellect.
And so Seiya relied entirely upon his horribly constructed logic to tank Babylon Tower’s horrors.
(Right answer.
Wrong working.)
“Sirin, baby girl, did you make food yet?
I’m hungry~!”
Seiya announced with a laugh before kissing her forehead.
Sirin—wearing a purple dress with a matching skirt and an impossibly bright smile—nodded enthusiastically before hopping off his lap and running toward the connected kitchen.
“I regret asking for food now.”
Seiya pouted at the emptiness of his lap.
Meanwhile, Sirin’s mind overflowed with happiness.
She poured all her love into cooking for her hardworking big brother.
She genuinely had no idea how someone as lean and graceful as Seiya could swing around a fireman’s axe so effortlessly.
It had to be difficult.
Yet he still did it every day for her sake.
Naturally, she had to repay him with all the tasty food and cuddles she could offer.
Though admittedly, the cuddles benefited her just as much.
Sirin giggled quietly to herself.
Seiya glanced over curiously at the sudden laughter before wisely deciding not to investigate further.
The thoughts of preteen girls were beyond the comprehension of mortal men.
“Maybe Welt could understand them?
He’s technically not mortal anymore, right~?”
Seiya mused idly as Sirin proudly returned wearing an apron entirely for dramatic effect.
She carefully presented the dishes to him.
Borscht.
And a bowl of goulash on the side.
Her tiny arms trembled from the effort as she waddled forward carefully, trying not to spill even a single drop.
A deeply concentrated expression adorned her face.
Seiya found it unbearably cute.
He blinked slowly.
“Truly a Russian daughter, this one.”
And so he dug in enthusiastically while Sirin sat across from him with sparkling eyes, basking in his praise and excitement.
For now, life felt good.
Even if he had already resigned himself to immense suffering somewhere in the future.
His determination ignited anew as he reached over and gently patted Sirin’s head with his free hand.
Sirin instantly melted into the touch.
Her eyes fluttered shut as a soft whimper of happiness escaped her lips, nuzzling deeper into his palm.
After all—
This was for the sake of his little angel.
Time passed.
Soon night descended upon the Siberian tundra, the evening sun long buried behind heavy clouds.
Sirin changed into her favorite nightgown—a soft gray piece decorated with little stars.
She loved this one the most.
After all, Seiya meant Star.
Which technically meant her beloved brother’s name was plastered all over the fabric.
She yawned sleepily while extinguishing the flame inside the oil lantern before climbing into bed beside him.
There was only one bed inside the small cabin, pressed against the wooden wall.
Although Seiya now earned enough money to buy another one, Sirin vehemently refused the idea.
“You shouldn’t waste the money you earned on something unnecessary like another bed when this one works just fine.”
An excuse, obviously.
In reality, she simply wanted to snuggle against her brother every night, and separate beds would completely ruin that plan.
Seiya was already asleep.
His back rested against the wall, his body slightly slipping into the crevice between the mattress and the cabin itself.
Sirin huffed before tugging him back into place with all the force her tiny frame could muster.
Though guilt immediately followed afterward.
Seiya looked ethereal while asleep.
Moonlight from the nearby window blanketed his face as his usually playful expression softened into serene grace.
The sight alone could make others pause at his beauty.
Like an angel descended from heaven itself.
Blessed by gods.
Cherished by the world.
Sirin’s breath hitched faintly.
“Truly unfair that he’s a man.”
She pouted briefly before her expression softened once more.
Leaning forward carefully, she pressed a delicate kiss against his cheek.
She used to be awkward at doing things like this.
But after a year of Seiya constantly showering her in affection, she had become rather experienced.
“Good night, Brother.
I love you.”
She whispered the words softly before curling into his warmth and drifting to sleep.
A few moments later, Seiya slowly opened his eyes.
A soft smile crossed his face.
Leaning down, he kissed the sleeping pufferfish on the forehead before wrapping an arm around her smaller body and pulling her closer.
“Love you too, my sweet angel.”
And then he fell asleep once more.