Chapter 0.5: Novikov Ilya's Descent! Pt. 2

Scene 1: Continuation

"Well, obviously I can't lure Renürion like that. Even after I've offset most of my computational power to my database and strategizing algorithm, 25% of my overarching intelligence still isn't enough to gain an upper hand on her." Ilya said, while drinking water at a rooftop near the IS academy.

"Why don't you use more of your power? You'd gain an upper hand then, right?" Tatenashi said, with a confused tone in her voice.

"Katana. You know my brain will fry itself if I use more than 30% for 5 minutes. I don't want to risk accidentally forgetting to go to the upper limits of my safety mechanism for too long. It's like having an extremely fast and power-hungry CPU with a poor power supply and a crappy cooling system. I'm basically under-volting my CPU to keep myself safe." He explained, annoyed. This is the third time he had explained this to her.

"Well, your brain better be getting heated up, because I'm detecting alarmingly fast-dropping vital signs on Ichika Orimura!" Tatenashi suddenly blurted out, as she started panicking.

"That other guy that can pilot IS? The Mosaic reject?" Ilya said, questioningly.

"Mosai- what? Who cares! He's dying, you fool! Chifuyu's vitals are fluctuating as well. Vitals indicate she's currently in a battle. What's more, she has her IS deployed! You need to get over there right the fuck now!" Tatenashi yelled, as her crush and potential lover Ichika was dying.

"I got it. Also, tell no one else to come to the site of the battle taking place. I'm going in solo. Also, If that Tabane is there, then I can't promise that your academy will still be standing after I'm done with that piece of work!" Ilya said, before seemingly tapping out of his communications.

"Wait, Ilya, she's more powerful than the specs indicated-!" Tatenashi audibly gasped, as Ilya had seemingly tapped out of his communication device, seemingly ensuring no one could contact him now. But also, she had to send out the order that the zone be rendered a no-go zone.

Scene 2: First Responder
"Reporting… Maya! Tell everyone you know who'd want to get in on this battle to stay aside. He is taking the fight alone, or so he says." Tatenashi communicated over her earpiece to Maya.

"That Novikov… He's gone insane after what happened to Sakaki. I know, she was a candidate for the IS representation of Japan, but still. What's so important about her that he'd take on Tabane all alone on his own? What grudge is he settling..? You're his friend, Tatenashi. Do you know?" Maya said, worryingly.

"Do you remember the Excalibur incident?"

"Yeah? What about it?"

"Well, it turns out the real target of the Excalibur was Ilya all along. We thought we had taken it down, because its core was removed. But somehow, Tabane hacked into it and fired one last shot at him, rendering both him and his girlfriend, Sakaki Miyu into their respective comas. He likes to call her his fiancé, but he never got to propose to her before she was kidnapped by the phantom task, on direct orders of Tabane. Ilya's and the JSDF's independent investigations provided these results."

Tatenashi coldly explained, just thinking about the pain he must be in right now because of their inability to finish off the Excalibur is immense. If anything, it was partly her fault for his state.

"What the hell… We're the reason for all of this? I- Is he going to come after us too?" Maya said to herself.

"I don't know… But I'm worried, Maya. That Tabane's IS… I don't know what it is, but knowing her, he's heading to his death. I- I don't want my best friend to suffer such a fate…" Tatenashi was on the verge of crying. She didn't want to see the sad man pushed even further.

Ilya turned back into his communications for a brief moment to signal that he was at the source of the commotion, which to him seemed to be the basement of the IS Academy, overhearing what Tatenashi and Maya had said.

"Sarashiki. I know you worry about my safety. If I wasn't absolutely confident in myself, I wouldn't attempt such a life-risking attack on her. After all, I know how hard it is on you every time I take a fight that's in my odds anyway. Trust me on this. I am here, at whatever place you sent me the coordinates to, Maya. And no, I am not going to attack your academy. I never planned to, anyway. I may hate most of you for what happened with the Excalibur Incident, but I am not going to put you in my crosshairs for trying to stop that "perfect" human Tabane." Ilya said over his earpiece, while smirking.

"Dont get the wrong idea, I still do not wish to collaborate with you unless absolutely necessary. I am merely doing this because my best friend requested my assistance on taking down the Phantom Task, and also because I have someone I need to save from them. Simply put, our goals align. Do anything too out of line, and you'll have me to answer to, okay?" He added. It was important to ground the relationship between the IS Academy and Novikov Ilya early on so as to avoid confusions later down the line.

Tatenashi blushed heavily at him pointing out how overprotective she is of him, but he had hit the mark perfectly. She wanted him to be safe.

"Understood, I'll forward the message to the others when all of this is wrapped up. But for now, Novikov Ilya. You have two missions. Save the Orimura siblings and incapacitate Shinonono Tabane." Maya sternly said over her communications device."

"Yeah yeah, I got it, breast granny. You want me to save that forsaken child, right? I'm right here anyway, bring your backup. Tell them to keep at least 4 km radius from the scene of the battle. I've updated your data on my IS, Rafaele. You'll see why I want you to keep your distance when you read the information. Also, I am not planning on merely 'Incapacitating' Shinonono Tabane if she is present. I am going to end her life if at all possible when her usefulness expires." Ilya said, smirking again before logging off his communications for real this time, so as to prevent a breach that would enable Tabane to discover his location.

What was in the data? It was, his IS. The specs, armaments and his One-Off ability. Well, One-Off abilities, anyway…

"What the hell? What kind of nickname is "breast granny" anyway, you dumb dork-" Maya angrily snarled through to him from the control tower she and Tatenashi were in, to no avail. He had gotten the best of them this time.

Scene 3: Laura! What are you doing here?

It was a sort of construct reminiscent of a lighthouse, but much wider and larger. It was primarily used by the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JSDF), but they had recently leased a large compartment to the IS Academy for their very own strategists to be able to strategize effectively in preparations for missions that the government of Japan would give to Ichika, Chifuyu and the girls. From there, Kanzashi, Tatenashi and Maya had been called to the scene after a disturbance to Orimura Chifuyu & Orimura Ichika's condition. They were top priority pieces in Japan's arsenal, it'd make sense for them to show an interest in saving them.

"Holy… What kind of monster designed this IS?" Maya muttered under her breath, completely in terror.

"Such fearsome abilities…" Tatenashi exclaimed.

"What? What did you guys find?" Laura Bodewig said, coming into the control room the two were in, not having read the spec sheet that Ilya had sent before turning his communications device off.

"Laura. You need to have a look at this before you go to the battlefield with the others." Maya said, looking at Laura with some incredibly fearful eyes.

There were about a few dozen files in the document sent by Novikov. They all collectively detailed the schematics, armaments and abilities of Ilya's IS, the Dawnbreaker Rafaele. (Not to be confused with Charlotte Dunois' previous IS, the Rafaele Revive.). Well, it couldn't get confused for Charl's IS anyway, since it was not manufactured by a company or nation, nor was it a man-made IS. It was... The symbol of dreams. The symbol of hope and willpower.

"Holy… What is this? I never knew jokes could get so elaborate…" Laura responded.

"Bodewig, it's not a joke. These specs are the real deal. I would know. Right, Maya?" Tatenashi called out to Maya.

Oh, how unaware Laura was, of the monster that was lurking in the shadows. The monster that had awakened to claim revenge on all of them. Well, those who had hurt Miyu, at least. The group wasn't in any danger as of yet. But, that still didn't mean they were safe. Maya had given the warning Ilya had told her to Laura, intending for her to forward it to the rest of the group.

They all recognized this relationship with the vengeful Magician Emperor. They'd have to be extremely careful going forward. A single misstep or allying the wrong person and they'd be in for a piece of his burning passion for vengeance.

"But... This IS has several One-Off abilities! That's impossible. No IS is capable of this! He's also in his Second Shift... What kind of ability is this?" Laura exclaimed, petrified at the thought of his IS being this powerful. What kind of monster could hold two One-Off abilities, on top of having Fold-Out Armor, Energy Wings and a "Savior Mission" mode... Whatever that was. Along with those armaments were two, no, three special armaments only found on the Rafaele and not on any other IS. Laura began to think that this IS wasn't something that even Tabane could design.

"Well... That's what we've been trying to figure out ever since my assistant provided me with its updated specs. It only gained those One-Off abilities after the EIC (Excalibur Incident Coma) happened. Interestingly, it also lost its old One-Off ability. The standby form and its IS form both changed drastically in appearance, build quality and strength from nowhere. All of our experts are on the case, but we still can't figure anything out about how the hell all of that happened. I know how he originally created his old IS from quite literally nothing, you might know of it as the Aku-Knight." A certain man said, coming into the control tower.

It was the president of the Russian Republic, Aleksandr Isyanov. He carried a certain powerful aura around him... A regal one at that.

Scene 4: Origins of the Scar-Red Crimson King's Power

From an early age, Novikov Ilya was already found to have exceptional strategic and physical capabilities. His parents, father Lavrentiy Shokolov and mother Valentina Novikov remarked that he would need to be sent to several medical experts. Upon further inspection, the discovery of him carrying the SNR334 genetic mutation sent ripples across Russia. At first, nobody knew what that mutation meant, but they could reasonably conclude that it was the cause of his enhanced physicality and intellect. But, as another person with this mutation was discovered, it was finally realized what it meant. The birth of Shinonono Tabane and her genius had spelt his certain impending doom.

The discovery of what this gene could do to further humanity's evolution placed Ilya and his family on the government's high priorities list. After all, having someone like him would make it way easier to win battles, even if he was equipped with a meager 2nd generation IS. This, of course, is due to all his heavily modified and enhanced physical condition due to picking up this genetic mutation that put him in the ballpark of Shinonono Tabane in pure strength alone. But, because of his genius-level intellect pre-mutation, his intelligence is far beyond even what Tabane could hope to achieve. The issue being that Tabane is the pinnacle of humanity's ingenuity. Anything beyond that is simply not capable of being housed solely within his human body, which is why the vast majority of his brain's power was sealed away within his IS, the Dawnbreaker Rafaele. It used to simply exist within his IS, but after his IS' and his body's 2nd shift after the Excalibur Coma Incident, or ECI for short, it has grown to house a consciousness of its own. But that wouldn't happen for a while.

Before then, Ilya lived a semi-normal life. Other than not being able to play combat sports with the other kids because he would almost certainly hurt them badly even if it was just sparring and having to go to sporadic and non-scheduled medical checkups every week or so, his life was normal. He had friends, a loving set of parents and a newly discovered lavish lifestyle, courtesy of his host, the Russians. But... It felt like it wasn't enough. To be fair, he was barred from travelling abroad (due to very real safety and state security risks if he were to get hurt or if he would end up needing medical treatment while abroad as it would mean other countries would discover his... Unique physicality.) which made life a lot more boring. Having no freedom of movement and having to undergo experimentation while growing up made Ilya a more gloomy child than most. Even though he could have everything he wanted, the newest IS prototypes, meeting the biggest of celebrities... Even having a huge harem! Those were all things his country could give him if he so wished for it, because really, they were at his mercy, not the other way around.

At the ripe old age of 13 however, this dynamic would change as the Russian president, Aleksandr Isyanov, had expressed his desire to have Ilya be educated privately at a special off-limits facility in Kazan, Russia. So, he would have to move from his current home of Maykop in the outskirts of the Caucasus to Central Russia, more specifically Tatarstan. His family was to not come with him, so as to not impede his education or risk leaking classified secrets that they were not meant to be aware of. The purpose of this special facility was to be unveiled at his arrival, but the information disclosed to Ilya prior to the move was that he would be focusing mainly on IS-related topics such as diplomacy and IS combat, among other "key subjects", some of them mentioned to be languages, but further information was not given.

With the move eventually taking place, Ilya was isolated from the outside world in an underground facility. There, he was given a strict prison-like regiment. He was one of three students of this special IS-pilot nurturing complex. The others, being Sakaki Miyu and the one and only Katana Sarashiki. (At this point, she had not taken over the Sarashiki family, thus not bearing the name Tatenashi as of this point but will still be referred to as Tatenashi for simplicity's sake). Obviously, them all being teenagers who were taken from their homes and placed into this hellish environment, they quickly became friends. But... It was an unfortunate situation for all three of them. They had barely any time to socialize, and after classes, exercise and more classes there was no socializing allowed. Merely to sit in their own relatively spacious rooms that all came equipped with some basic studying material and exercise equipment. They would be in this place, the 'Talent Hell' for two years.

Unfortunately for Tatenashi, Ilya was colder than most. It clearly seemed that he really did not want to be there, for some odd reason. Probably because of the doctors. Yes. The doctors that poked him with needles and asked needless questions about his well-being and condition. He hated it. He hated it all. Having to undergo a special education because he was a man who could pilot IS'. Well, it was probably his gene mutation that they sought to nurture, but the fact that he could pilot most IS without issue despite not having undergone the special training for long was also a key part of his appeal. Every day of training, he'd

As for Sakaki Miyu and Tatenashi Sarashiki... Well, Tatenashi was to be the next head of the Sarashiki family that had huge ties to the Russians and their heir had to be well-versed in IS combat as all the previous heads of the family were. That, and she wanted to challenge herself. There's something about being the heir to a massively influential family that brought a sense of... Complacency into her head. She hated it. Tatenashi was someone who, despite not looking the part, was always looking for a challenge, a mountain to climb. Something to devote herself to overcoming. She needed action in her life, which was the reason for her willingly having come to the Kazan complex, despite technically being forced into it, she quite enjoyed the rigorous training and combat she was made to perform against her two peers.

Sakaki Miyu was the odd one out. She wasn't recruited for her exceptional genetic talent nor her connections. She was a refugee from a particular IS-related war in Japan who had come all the way to Russia for shelter. Initially, the governments of Russia and Japan planned a treaty that would force Russia into handing over any refugees crossing over into Vladivostok, but eventually negotiations fell through and the treaty was rejected by Russia, thus allowing Miyu safe passage through to travel the country and go to whichever country she wished.

That was the intended plan, at least. But, soon enough, she was discovered to have a compatibility with IS that rivaled even Novikov Ilya, their pride and joy. How could this happen? Well... There really was no explanation. She just had a superhuman ability for conducting IS, one that rivaled Orimura Chifuyu and even the two ultimate humans, Tabane and Ilya. This meant that she was more or less the figurative "slave" of the Russians. Japan wouldn't accept her back now that she was in the eyes of the Russians and soon to receive citizenship, which would mean she'd have to give up her Japanese citizenship. This would, in turn, leave her defenseless when it came to her host government. Well, she would have it slightly better than other refugees. They did want something from her. Her alleigance to become the backup IS representative of Russia, if things with Novikov fell out.

The three of them stayed together, through thick and thin as they sought to make it out alive and well after all of the experimental training and teaching methods the Russian government was putting them through. It wasn't like they could do anything about it, since all three of them were at their mercy, but it was still harsh methods. Things like high-g training to get used to piloting their IS' at high speeds in all directions, intense physical workouts with the harshest and most effective personal trainer in the country, Sevodim Noroshko, who would force them all to their limit, but it seemed he had special disdain for Miyu. Every time she failed at something, she would get hit repeatedly by the coach, then the guards.

Tatenashi could do nothing but watch, but Ilya was different. The usual obedient and quiet boy really hated what they were doing to her. Moreso because they were targeting Miyu rather than the things they were actually doing. If it was on himself, he wouldn't care. But to go after his precious friends? It was a step too far. As the days passed on, it was only half a year before they would finally be free from this hell. But, every day he saw Miyu get beaten and then escorted to the infirmary pushed him closer and closer to the edge.

"Say, Illy-kun? Why are you so upset lately? I can notice that something has got you on the edge. Are you excited of meeting your family?" Miyu asked him, with the happy smile she'd always give him gone. In the nursery, just after having gotten chewed out by Sevodim she was, talking to Ilya. But... The nickname "Illy" pushed him over the edge. Having seen someone who he considered his best friend and crush in bandages, with her smile diminished still trying to put up a less gloomy face for him to put him at ease... It broke him. He knew it. He'd have to intervene the next time something like this happens.

"Miyu... Don't you feel hurt at all? I don't want to see you like this. That goddamn Sevodim will pay! I can't bear the thought of having the person that I love being in such a sorry and sad state still try to hang onto the innocent little nickname you gave me when we arrived in here. Please, Miyu. You don't need to hide from me anymore." Ilya said, almost brought to tears when he confessed that he was worried about her. But... What was that he said? Did he accidentally reveal that he liked her?

"Illy... You love me?" Miyu said, tears rolling down her face now. She had to come clean.

"Illy... It hurts so bad, I can barely stand every time I have to walk back to class from this place. The doctors don't care, no one but you and Tatenashi care about me... I'm so glad that you love me as much as you do, Illy. I- I don't want you to intervene in my matters! I don't want to see you kicked out of the program because of someone as worthless as me... For a goddamn refugee like me who can't do what coach Noroshko tells me to..." Miyu cried out while trying to hug Ilya.

"I love you too, Illy. That's why I don't want to see you stick up for me and ruin your future just for a worthless girl like me..." She said, as she almost collapsed in his arms.

His rage, it could devour an entire country. He clutched Miyu tightly, as he let her cry in his arms. The things she described. They were horrific. To think that she had confessed to him at a time like this, then told him that she was worthless and not worth defending. The rage in his eyes seeped so deep into his being that it could be picked up from all the way in Kenya. Miyu noticed his anger immediately, of course. His close grip, the trembling in his arms. He wasn't about to do something stupid, right?

"Illy... I know what you're thinking. Don't do it. Please, Illy! I-I- I'll endure this! So please, don't ruin your future for someone like me..." She meekly said, before she saw his face. It was... Horrifying. The pure rage, the despair, the love. It all mixed. It was such a horrifying sight. How could he get so angry from hearing that a trashy refugee who could not fight back was in pain she thought.

"Miyu." He said, before kissing her deeply.

It was a kiss of pure intentions, of love. Tranquility. His rage? When he saw her worried like she was, all his evil and murky intentions disappeared instantly. All that was left, was to give her his warmth. The rage surged and simmered while his love soared into the skies.

"I'm sorry for doing that so suddenly. Miyu. You're not worthless. You're... You're the girl I love, you idiot! I could never bear to hear you calling me "Illy" and trying to act tough while those bastards abuse you mercilessly! Give me your personal IS. I know that they've finished your Ryukyu. I will make a second today at workshop class, and I will protect you from those bastards. Tomorrow, they shall feel the consequences of attacking MY girlfriend."

Ilya said, barely able to hold his rage within himself. It was decided, for him. He would not tolerate this any longer. To see his Miyu this hurt and scared... It was unacceptable!

"Illy... I love you... Please, never leave me to get hurt again... No matter what I say, please. I'm scared... But you make me so much happier. Having your warmth like this, it's something that I never want to get away from ever again... Illy. Please, please be my- my boyfriend.. I know I'm a worthless refugee at the mercy of the world, but please... If I can just have you, I'll be happy..." She meekly said, as the warmth from Ilya's magnificent suit encompassed her. She said the words! Ilya was overjoyed.

"Miyu. It'd be an honour to be able to call such a beautiful girl my girlfriend. I promise. I will always protect you from now on. Whoever dare graze your beautiful figure shall feel the wrath of the ultimate enhanced human, Novikov Ilya. I swear on my life." Ilya said, kissing her again.

"E- Even if I'm wrapped up in all these bandages and despite having shed so many tears?" Miyu innocently asked as she was the one to kiss him this time before going back onto her bed, clearly not feeling well...

"You are incredibly beautiful, Miyu. I don't care how hurt you are and I don't care about how you see yourself. To me, you are the girl I've always wanted. You're the one person I'd give my life to protect. I just can't handle you getting hurt at all, can I?" Ilya laughed to himself. It seemed almost too pathetic for the ultimate enhanced human to be able to get hurt by this little. But... He was a soft guy, at least somewhere inside of him there was a softness. One that seemingly only appeared when his friends were in danger or he was feeling like something was up.

"Illy I- I love you... Good night..." Miyu said, in a very obvious sleepy tone before beginning to doze off, her expression having changed from that of someone holding in their sorrows to someone who just got gifted a trillion dollars and just had their first baby with their soulmate. That is to say, Miyu was finally happy again.

As he was confessing his feelings to Miyu, it felt like he was in a dream. It was... Perfect. The rage inside him was momentarily quelled as he held Miyu's hand while she peacefully rested on the bed in the nurse's office that was inside the Kazan 'Talent Hell' complex. He kissed her hand, and without a word, took off. It was time to set things straight with that goddamn bitch, Sevodim.

The following class...

Other than the fact that Sakaki Miyu was not present, the classroom was entirely empty as usual. He had arrived way early, before the teacher and Tabane. Immediately, he sprung into action. Carrying Miyu's newly-crafted personal IS, the 'Ryukyu', he summoned it onto himself. It was a blue and pink design, something similar to the color of cotton candy. It was an innocent design. It made him smile momentarily, before noting down the schematics and getting to work. He had all the parts he needed to replicate the IS' base functions and armaments, but the One-Off ability was something he couldn't replicate himself. That was natural, however. One-Off abilities weren't just something "constructed" into an IS, at least, it wasn't something he could construct himself.

"Say, Ilya. What do you have 'Ryukyu' for? Don't tell me, you tried to make your own personal IS? Don't you know that it's my turn before yours?" Tatenashi said, walking into the room just as he finished construction of the entire IS. It had been... A few hours at least. He was finished with the replica, and so he hid the real Ryukyu as he waved around his defanged replica.

"You didn't come to any of the afternoon classes, you know?" I was starting to get worried for you too, Ilya-kun." Tatenashi said to him, in a sort of voice a worried mother who had been looking for her child would use when she'd eventually find the child. It angered him deeply.

"I was merely training on my building speed. Miyu asked me to keep her Ryukyu safe for the time being, so I took the challenge of trying to replicate it while I was waiting for you to arrive here." Ilya said, showing her both the real Ryukyu and his duplicate. They were easily discernable as he had made it easy to spot the difference. His copy had a sword as the standby form, not the simple red cross that Miyu had attached to her hair.

"Huh. Why'd you go out in the middle of gym class then? You know that they'll target you if you try to help Miyu, right?" Tatenashi taunted him slightly, as she usually did. But, Ilya did not react immediately. It was odd, as if she had struck a nerve she shouldn't have tried to poke at.

"I don't care what they do. Do you feel okay watching our friend, my girlfriend, get beaten like that for not being like us? Just because her home was set ablaze, you feel the need to taunt my feelings and deny her the smile she so desperately needs? You're my friend, so I won't do anything to you, Katana, but I dare you. Get in the way of what I'm going to do to Sevodim and you will learn to regret that decision for the rest of your very life. I care about you too, that's why I'm warning you not to try and help him when the time comes, Katana." He explained, in a weirdly sincere tone. He also cares about Tatenashi, he wouldn't want to endanger his only other friend in this hell they were all put in. But he wouldn't just let her intervene in his affairs. His gaze towards her said as much.

"Your... Girlfriend?" Tatenashi asked, with a petrified stare.

Hello, readers! Its me, Gesischteteller. I'm sorry for the huge delay between parts 1 and 2. Originally, I never planned to extend this chapter by this much, but I got some ideas. I am currently away on a trip in Poland, having to write the finishing touches on this chapter out on a phone was quite the challenge, I'd say. But enough about my woes. I will be returning around the 22nd of July, which is when I'll start working on part 3. I'm thinking that this whole chapter fest will end with part 4, at which point the story will shift from the past back into the current situation.

As always, I'm open to any criticisms and every review, positive or negative, is appreciated. These chapters are just to build the lore and to give you guys an idea of why Ilya is so enraged over what happened to Miyu, why he knows Tatenashi and how his powers came to be. You guys are gonna have to wait quite a bit, which I'm going to apologise for right now, but I appreciate the support nonetheless. I never thought that I'd even get a single review at this point, it makes me happy to see that people are enjoying this little passion project of mine. Keep an eye out for the next few chapters, I already have a good idea of what to do with the story for at least until chapter 4 or so. (Chapter 4 will also likely be a 4-part endeavour, just like I'm planning for this pilot episode.)

With all that being said, I hope you enjoyed reading Novikov Ilya's Descent! Part 2 and I encourage you all to leave a review of what you liked and disliked about this chapter or the story as a whole.

Gesischteteller, out.