“Citizens of Rome, warriors of the Empire, hear me!”

“Inside that metal fortress rests an enemy stronger, more ruthless, and more determined than any foe we have ever faced before! I have seen them with my own eyes! They are creatures whose skin are made of metal armors! Their weapons can claim your life in a flash!”

“You all know Captain Caeso and the guard squadron under his command who have served me since the beginning of my days! I can call them the best soldiers in Rome and no one can object! Yet just hours ago, when they, with the aid of a hundred best gladiators of Syras, made a move into the ship, they were slaughtered! The only survivors are those you see before you.”

“But don’t let this disturb you, men! We are the warriors of Rome, and no enemy can withstand our combined will! Already, I have deployed messengers to the Emperor and every other Legatus in the Empire. All we have to do is hold our ground, and within days, the full power of the Imperial military will descend on this location and join us in purging these outsiders from our land!”

“And at the end of the day, Rome will stand! We will stand!”

Jean stood on an elevated stage. Below her, most of her 25,000 troops were here. 20,000 legionnaires formed countless squares, each holding a full cohort. 5,000 Equites stood tall beside their horses. Their lances pointing into the sky.

It was a sea of red.

On the stage, Jean was practically screaming. Her voice was filled with passion. For a moment, she looked like a true Roman patriot willing to abandon her self-interest for the good of the Imperial reign.

“I admit, especially since the rumors that has been spreading around the Empire through the past few days, there has been some conflict between me and the Emperor, but none of those will matter in the face of such adversity! I swear in the name of my family that until the enemies that reside in that fortress fall, I will not set my eyes on my personal gains, for the glory of Rome is greater than anything else!”

“This is the promise of a true Roman!”

If true Roman meant making wicked dealings behind the disguise of justice, then that final statement was correct.

Jean’s intentions were clear. Weaken this world and all other forces that stand against the Protector Corps. Limitedly enhance and attempt to control the Alphian fleets. Enhance herself to the best of her abilities.

Tipping the Roman Empire against the Alphian fleet could do all three.

Now, unless Jean straight up goes on a mass-extermination mission, the arrival of the Alphians couldn’t be concealed. At the same time, millions of Romans could potentially take down a few hundred Alphians without a chance to recover. In that case, she might as well play a major role in the Roman war effort and seek to sabotage it.

If the Romans could still win the war with her wrecking things up on the inside, then the Alphians really deserve to go extinct.

At this point, all Jean had to do was rally more and more Imperial forces into the battle against the Alphians. The more forces that come here, the weaker the Empire would be when they get inevitably exterminated by the Alphians, and the more brains the Alphians could harvest.

Of course, there was something for herself. In order to get Jean Turner to work, there always needs to be something for her. One way to improve the Power of Death was to have a deeper understanding of death, and what better chance was there to do that than to witness hundreds of thousands of pumped up Romans fight and die at her will?

Jean has been in a lot of battles, but she only had a handful of opportunities to truly understand death in a large scale. Millions perished in the World of Starcraft and the World of the Runes, both of which were before she became a Reapress. She was too busy staying alive in the Dream Realms during the battles. And even back on Earth where she fought against the Romans, she was either not present, fighting, or trying to infiltrate the Roman ranks.

The gladiatorial fight gave her a chance, but that was far from sufficient. Right now, Jean estimated her own CAS to be approximately 950, but her understanding of death was still on the surface. She could be a lot more, but to do that, she needed a lot of bodies.

By the end of the day, everyone would get what they desire. The Alphians, brains. Her, a deeper understanding of death and a higher CAS.

As for the Romans, well, death, conversion, and submission...whatever. She wouldn’t be Jean Turner if she cared about collatorals.

What she said was true. Before making this speech to half her army, Jean sent envoys to everyone who mattered in the Empire. The Emperor, who had 80,000 boots on the ground and could deploy another 80,000 with a moment’s notice. Legatus Caius, whose 20,000 troops made him not an insignificant factor. Senator Tullus and Legatus Gallio, two warlords with a grudge against the Emperor who have allied themselves with Caius, were invited as well.

In total, including Jean herself, 18 warlords were invited to take up arms against the Alphians. Some, like Caius, only had 20,000 or so men. Others, like the Emperor or Legatus Quintis, had over 50,000 men.

Even Tribune Lorus, who commanded 15,000 men back in Decimus’s capital of Cayden, was ordered to leave just the minimum defenders in the city and take the rest of the forces here.

They represented the vast majority of the war potential in the Roman Empire, and Jean wanted to get rid of them once and for all.

Rome. Roman Empire.

The ancient city of Rome has been the heart of the Empire since its very beginning. Roman legions marched across every other continent on the planet, stripping their wealth, their glory, and their people and bringing them all the way back to this city. The city was like a pesticide, maintaining its glamours by feeding on countless below it.

The people in the city of Rome considered themselves to be the only true Romans among the Empire. Even the legions positioned at the city looked down upon their comrades elsewhere. Many would rather be a part of the Rome Defense Corps than be an officer outside the city.

The invasion the Empire launched on the other dimensions brought the Emperor’s authority to a new height. Warlords, whether or not they were truly loyal to the crown, had to obey the Emperor’s orders, at least on the surface. Riders came into the city everyday to deliver messages from all across the Empire.

But today, a rider had a very special message.

“Emperor! A vessel from an alien world has descended upon our land! They have annihilated hundreds of our men and kidnapped an entire village! Legatus Decimus is holding the ground at the frontline with his legions, but he needs your aid! This is a personal letter from him. My lord implores you to make a decision at once!”

Jean’s messenger took out a sealed letter and held it out. An Imperial Guard walked up and fetched the letter. But before he handed it to the Emperor, he opened the letter himself and did a full examination of the paper. This was in case the letter was poisoned or rigged.

When the Emperor finally got to read the letter, he found himself infuriated.

Jean’s message was simple. A mysterious faction has descended upon the Roman world and it was obvious they were hostiles. She and her forces were on the way to intercept them, but she needed help, so for the greater good of the Empire, it was only right for Emperor Marcus to contribute as well.

Emperor Marcus was no fool. When his grandfather and his father perished at the hands of the Protector Corps, he defeated his two uncles that remained in the Empire and took over command at a young age, and he didn't do so by being reckless. Well, at least not by only being reckless.

Decimus was forcing his hands. As a Legatus, just one of many warlords in the Empire, Decimus has announced to the world that he was willing to sacrifice his troops and even himself for the greater good. Marcus was the Emperor, with many times the manpower and resources of Decimus. If, at this time of chaos, he stepped back, then what right does he have to remain as the Emperor and hold all the privileges he does now?

Marcus knew, the moment Decimus sent out the riders, he didn't give any of them a choice. He has elevated this issue to a problem of national pride. Anyone who refused to lend a helping hand, Emperor or not, would be branded as a traitor of the Empire.

Marcus knew about Decimus. He and his legions invaded one of the dimensions the Aggressors opened up portals to. While many warlords, including the Emperor himself, suffered great losses at the hands of the mysterious machines at dimension AP492, Decimus’s forces managed to create a foothold in dimension HR012. Not a great achievement, but better than nothing.

In fact, there has been rumors that the Aggressors were starting to put their odds on Decimus rather than him, the rightful Emperor of Rome. Marcus had to admit he was concerned when the rumors first reached his ears. He knew very well that before the Aggressors, his leverages were no different than Decimus’s. He was only chosen because he was the Emperor. If the Aggressors figured the Roman Empire could spread more chaos across the Infinite Realms under Emperor Decimus, then perhaps they would even lend a hand in the transition of power.

Emperor Marcus was ready to do whatever it takes to deal with Decimus, even if it meant sending the Emperor’s Shadows to slit his throat. The Aggressors wouldn’t start a war with him over a dead man. But before he could even deploy his assassins, more rumors came.

He was really starting to hate rumors.

Supposedly, a group of assassins made an attempt on Decimus’s life in the markets of Syras. The Emperor’s assassins. Now, Legatus Decimus was marching his men back to his territories. Many wondered if he would just let this go or raise up arms and depend an explanation from the Emperor.

Ok. Change of plans. If Decimus gets assassinated after this mess, then Marcus knew he could never wash away the accusations. Fine. But daggers and poison weren’t the only way to kill someone. The Emperor was well educated in that notion. Sometimes, praises could kill too.

He already had something in mind. As soon as Decimus returns to his territories, Marcus would send a wave of flatteries his way to make it look like he was trying to mend the relationship between the two. After he made Decimus look like the best general in the Roman Empire, he would turn Decimus to the battlefield against dimension AP492.

At this moment, AP492 was already lost. Every fraction of Roman influence in that area was tore out and exterminated. The metal defenders of that realm have turned it into a fortress. Even the portals were beginning to be sealed by a means the Romans had no understanding of. Decimus or not, any invasion would end in a disaster.

But the people wouldn’t get that. They would have their confidence in Decimus turning the tides, and when Decimus failed in that task, all the praises handed to him would turn into the most vicious poison to his reputation and influence. If Decimus died in battle, good. If he didn't, then whatever asset he had that gave him the favor of the Aggressors would be lost. He would no longer be a threat.

Marcus was truly a master at the art of backstabbing. That was the only reason he was the Emperor right now and not a random rotten corpse in a random ditch.

But this alien invasion changed things up. Now, the people was on Decimus’s side. Emperor Marcus had no choice but to lead his forces into battle.

Then again, that might not be a bad thing. Marcus knew the moment he arrives at the frontline, he would become the commander of the battle, with Decimus under his thumb. Unless Decimus was ready to betray the Empire, even if Marcus sent him and his men on suicide missions, he had to obey.

If Decimus thought he could drag the Emperor into a difficult fight to weaken him, then he couldn’t be more wrong. Marcus didn't know if his own forces would be weakened during this battle, but he could say with confidence that if Decimus was still alive after the battle, then he was doing a damn poor job.

Sending the messenger to get some rest, the Emperor summoned his generals.

“Mobilize all active forces. I want every men outside the Rome Defense Corps to be ready to march. How much time until we can march?”

“At least half a day, your grace.”

“You have half that time. Call in the auxiliaries. How much time until they are ready to move?”

“It will take two days, your grace.”

“You have one and a half. As soon as they are ready, march the auxiliaries to the location Decimus sent us. I will march alongside the readied legions along with my Imperial Guards.”

All the generals in the room saluted.

“As you wish, your grace.”