Sakura Chan and Eight Years Old

The sun shone through the window and warmed the flowers in the garden. A gentle breeze carried the scent of flowers throughout the manor.

Hajime was spending a normal day reading a book in Sophia's study room.

There were tons of bookshelves filled with books and journals all about mana or mana experiments. Some had diagrams of flowers, some had drawings of people and creatures, and some had scientific equations.

Hajime picked out one called: The Secret Of Colorless Mana written by Professor E. Ansel. He turned the pages of the thick book carefully as he read.

He wasn't alone. A small flower pot was resting right next to a window in the study room basking in the sunlight. Hajime was sitting right at the desk where he was first introduced to the flower.

For a whole year, Hajime didn't go into the study room and opted to bring a book into the living room. Slowly he started getting used to the flower.

"What, you're telling me Colorless mana only has that many ranks? No wonder Floraliths are being treated like nobles here."

The plant reacted to his voice and a small vine appeared. It slithered across the table slowly towards Hajime.

"Back off, if I get a scratch I'll drop you out the window." Hajime said.

The vine retreated immediately.

It wasn't pleasant for him to yell at the little girl but Hajime learned his lesson the hard way: by dying.

"Sorry but no touching. Also you've grown bigger huh?"

The plant only stared at him curiously and the leaves didn't even move.

"I guess you really are a little kid. You can't talk yet."

Hajime sighed and continued reading his book. The book was extremely complicated but Hajime understood most of it; it was complicated for a person from the 14th century.

Colorless mana was more common than Aether mana. It was a physical substance that existed everywhere within the world. According to the book, mana first appeared a few hundred years ago. It completely halted the technological progression of humanity. Mana affected every living thing. Kingdoms were overrun by mana beasts.

"Why is this book talking about history?"

A rustle sounded throughout the study. The flower pot was the one making the sound.

Hajime felt a shiver run down his spine. He's developed a sixth sense to Oleanders. Pushing the chair away, he distanced himself from the flower.

"Nice little flower. Are you thirsty? Water? Tea? Maybe my blood?" chuckled Hajime

"If I promise to give you water won't you stop terrorizing me?"

The flower pot moved slightly. It seemed like the little floralith was reaching out to Hajime.

"No way in hell"

Hajime grabbed a bottle of water and a gardening spade. The spade is basically a spoon with a flat thin end. He held the spade over the pot.

"Do you want this or a drop of my blood?"

The vines burst out the soil and wrapped themselves around the spade.

"Hands off. I'm pouring the water."

Hajime poured the liquid into the pot. The vines untangled themselves and returned to their positions in the soil.

That was weird, he thought Hajime.

"We good?" asked Hajime.

As if to tease him, the flower's leaf started to fall down. Another rustle echoed.

Defying all logic, the flower's stem started to grow towards the roof of the room. From the stem, a tiny fruit started to form. It took the form of a peach.

Hajime was at a loss for words. He reflexively grabbed the handle of the door. Ready to escape at a moment's notice.

"I suppose this is normal for magical plants?"

The flower answered his question with a rapidly growing peach. The peach started to look like a pod that could hold aliens. Once the peach drooped all the way down to the desk due to gravity, cracks started to appear in front of it.

The cracks made Hajime's skin crawl. It reminded him of horror games he used to play.

Suddenly a chunk of the peach fell off and landed on the desk. Then another chunk and another. Eventually, the entire peel was gone.

Hajime could do nothing but stare at the scene playing out in front of him.

A cute little girl about a little less than a meter high, stood on top of the desk. Almost indistinguishable from a normal human except she had blue hair and a tiny horn in the middle of her forehead.

The horn was colored black but it had white and purple spots on it. Her heterochromia eyes were simply adorable if you ignored the fact that it was yellow and red, nature's warning sign for danger. Her eyes locked onto Hajime's.

"Daddy?" she asked in a cute high-pitched voice.

"W-wait what?"

"Daddy, I'm hungry."

Hajime felt a headache coming on.

'Are you fucking serious.'

"Hold on, let me process this,"

The floralith tilted her head and looked up at the bewildered boy.

"What should I call you, uh....what do you want to call yourself." asked Hajime.

"What?" the new flower responded.

"What's your name?"

"Daddy, can you give me one?"

"Please don't call me Daddy. Call me Hajime or big brother."

"Okay....big brother."

Hajime exhaled slowly and rubbed his temples. The word daddy repeated in his mind, over and over.

Hajime shook his head vigorously.

'No focus!'

"Ok, what should I call you?"

"Something cute, original, elegant, easily rolls off the tongue and has a nice ring to it."

'What's with this attitude, did the flower have this personality the whole time?'

"Wait how do you know these words!"

"Big brother, you're wasting my time" the floralith huffed.

"Then you choose your own name."

"No! I want daddy to give me one."

Hajime facepalmed.

"I have no choice do I?"

"Pretty please."

Her face seemed to shine and she shifted back and forth.

Hajime searched his memory for names that would fit the new girl.

'I'm sure I've seen or read a pretty flower name'

"Ok, what about Sakura?"

"Sakura what does it mean?"

"Uh, sakura has a bunch of meanings I guess. The original meaning was a flowering cherry tree."

Sakura's eyes sparkled.

"Sounds cool!"

"Great, Sakura it is."

"Umu." Sakura bounced on her toes.

"Now I'm still processing a lot of new information so I'm afraid to ask. Are you a...erm a 2-year-old or what?

Sakura tapped a finger to her chin. She shrugged.

"Sakura is a flower, or well a floralith. Plants mature and grow very quickly."

Hajime didn't know whether to laugh or cry. This was the most absurd situation he'd ever found himself in. Other than dying and reincarnating.

"So um can you do anything? I read that humans can use floralith mana."

Sakura suddenly formed a mischievous smile. She stuck her tongue out and winked.

"Sakura can do lots of things."

"Can you do any offensive magic?"

Sakura pouted.

"It's not fun. So nope."

"But defensive magic isn't fun either."

"That's where you're wrong Daddy. I'm the best at defensive magic."

"Weren't you just born like what 5 seconds ago? How can you be the best at something when you're a newborn."

"You just wait and see, I can do tons of cool tricks. Just ask the bees!"

Hajime raised an eyebrow.

"Bees?"

"Yeah, the bees that visit me everyday. They love me!"

"I have so many questions. Do the bees talk to you, can you show them to me?"

Sakura shook her head.

"No I killed them all with my poison." said Sakura with the most innocent smile ever.

Hajime's heart rate started to rise as he processed what she said. He felt like a bug caught in a spider's web. Beads of sweat started to form on his forehead.

'She's just a little girl right? Harmless? Loves her big brother?'

'Fuck how many times did I yell at her.'

"Why did you kill the bees Sakura?" Hajime asked, trying to suppress the shakiness in his voice.

"Because daddy kept yelling at the bees for touching me right?"

"Oh, oh yeah. Yeah, that's true." Hajime said with the most fake confident voice he could muster.

"So are you proud of me daddy?"

"Very. You did great Sakura."

Sakura beamed happily and jumped around.

"Only daddy is allowed to touch Sakura." said the little flower.

"Sure if that's what you want Sakura."

"Fufu, then I can protect daddy forever and ever."

"Protect me?"

"Uh-huh. Sakura always has your back. What's yours is mine and what's mine is also mine."

Hajime couldn't help but laugh at her declaration. He knew there was nothing he could do to escape her clutches. All he could do was be a good big brother to her.

Hajime was aware that he had to muster up the courage to pet her. It's required of a big brother and it's required to stay alive.

'System will I die if I touch her?'

'Excuse me?'

'Don't you have an emergency protocol for when the host is about to die?'

Sakura looked curiously as Hajime started to approach her. As soon as he lifted his hand, her eyes lit up.

"Daddy!" Sakura squealed.

Before Hajime's hand could touch her, the door was thrown open.

"Hajime, I'm home!" Aurora said.

Hajime paused his hand mid-air and stared at the door frame.

"Nooo!" yelled Sakura as she quickly grabbed Hajime's hand and put it on her head.

Aurora snapped her head to look at the source of the sound and her jaw dropped.

"Oh my god! She's so adorable!"

Hajime was feeling so many emotions. Relief, horror, excitement, nervousness.

"This is Sakura. She's my sister apparently."

"Hi, I'm Sakura. Hajime's daughter" the little girl said.

Aurora froze. She stared at Hajime and waited for an explanation.

"I uh, named her. I know it's stupid."

"A man isn't allowed to name a floralith Hajime! It's sacred!"

"Huh? Wait wha-"

"Anyways, Hajime were you planning to pet her or were you just going to stand there like an idiot?"

"Oh um, sorry."

Hajime gulped. Slowly, he rubbed Sakura's head.

'This isn't some delayed poison right?'

Sakura's eyes rolled back. She could feel electricity coursing through her body. Her brain was being stimulated. It felt like heaven.

"That's it daddy, keep going,"

Sakura purred softly.

Aurora's jaw dropped at the scene. She could hardly believe her eyes.

"Why does it feel like I interrupted something intimate."

"W-what? No, don't be ridiculous, mom. She's a kid!"

"I'm just saying it's the first time I've seen someone be able to stroke a floralith without fainting. Even I can't do that."

"Daddy is special." declared Sakura with her chest puffed out.

"You've known me for what 2 minutes?"

"Haha, I guess you're special to her Hajime. Not just anyone would be comfortable petting a newborn floralith."

"I don't know, it just felt natural you know?"

"Um, hello. I'm still here." Sakura pouted.

"Sorry, should I do it more?"

"Yes."

Hajime gently caressed Sakura's soft blue hair. She blushed as she looked up at him.

"Hajime. I think it's time. Let's have the talk." said Aurora.