Once the Martian messenger returned to the ground, Justinian prepared himself for the upcoming attack. He didn't trust the White Martians a lick because they were a brutal savage race. He didn't even trust Remnosh and she knew that.
She smirked when she heard that thought of his.
"Probably for the best."
He pointed at her face with a smirk of his own.
"I don't trust anyone Remnosh, not even Diana. She is a member of the Justice League and I am not the peaceful kind."
She just raised her hands in surrender.
"And that just means you're not stupid. I will tell you this, but that attack of 3,000 was just the personal guard unit of my older brother. He is the next heir of our Noble house and I suspect the reason he grabbed and tossed me in the direction of your missiles is because I was challenging him in succession.
As for the other 3, they are also my siblings, but they aren't challenging him."
Justinian hummed at the information because after knowing her for 6 weeks she had proved to be very strong. She could keep up with him somewhat, her Psychic might was extraordinary and her skill with her Psychic Blade was incredible.
"That explains it then. How many will they be sensing this time if it is an attack led by a true ruler."
"First you got to know that there are Millions of us underground. Our culture is brutal and savage, but even then not all are warriors. There is even a peaceful majority that wants to push for peace. It's the Warrior Cast which I came from that is more focused on brutality and conquering.
So, I believe they will send a minimum of 25,000. They will bring more Elites, more Psychic Focus Weapons, and proper technology. Can you handle those numbers?"
She smirked as if testing him for weakness. He didn't give her a smirk back as he had been wanting to test this out for himself and he started to consult his advisors.
'This seems like a good time to use the fusion of the Reduce Venom and the Blazing Inferno of Scorching Flames. If I guide it with my mana and psychic energy I could in theory finish their advanced force.'
[My flames once unleashed will never stop burning. If you cast them in large amounts there will be an area of this planet that will never cease to burn.]
'That is what I don't get Ddraig? How do your flames keep burning?'
[It is a curse I placed on them, a curse of endless fire. They were the flames I was born with and I wanted them to be as powerful as they came. When I met Albion and my flames did not harm him I created my other abilities to defeat him.]
{The same goes for my original Reduce Venom. It destroys all organic matter including the soul. However, your idea to cast a massive spell made of Ddraig's flames might work in the long run.
The nonstop burning will cause heat to rise.}
Once he got his answer he sat himself down and closed his eyes. Remnosh sat next to him and leaned onto his left shoulder not bothering him more than that. At the moment his mind was faster than Space Marines.
Using his Psychic Energy he split his thoughts into multiple threads and he started to work on a spell. He was not going to hold anything back and he built up this magic spell to utilize Ddraig's deadly flames.
What normally would take mage hours, days, or weeks took him all of 10 minutes. Using the information on Magic Circles that Ddraig and Albion gave him he created a Flame Storm Spell that required both Magic and Psychic Abilities to cast.
When he opened his eyes there was a fire burning in them because this was going to be great.
---
Just in case, before the Martians came to 'negotiate' he started to craft me Magic Spells that would be useful. His two Dragon Advisors fed him all the knowledge as both have millennia of experience.
Using that he started to experiment with tapping into other elements of magic. The one he wanted in particular was lightning because it was one of the most destructive elements around.
Thanks to all his training, the Emperor's blood was awake and it was granting him strength. If he got lucky he might become a Perpetual and be nearly impossible to kill. On another note, the Emperor's Psychic Might was his to inherit with no Warp to contend with.
12 hours later after he carefully crafted several Spells, most using Psychic and Magical Energy he felt Martians moving toward him. Just as Remnosh, they had moved in numbers greater than anything he had seen before. He turned next to him to look at Remnosh who was giving him a big smirk.
'Think you can handle it, big guy?'
'Watch me.'
He stood up and hefted his Guardian Spear off his shoulder. He waited patiently for the Martian Diplomat to emerge from the ground. When the Martian emerged he was on the smaller side of his race only about 8 feet tall.
To designate him, he wore different gemstones around his neck and more regal clothing. White Martians in their true forms wore no clothing because there was no gender dimorphism between the genders.
A male and female White Martian looked identical until they shapeshifted. Justinian waited as the Martian approached. He looked smaller and skinnier than even the scouts as this cast was used for intelligence gathering and diplomacy between City States or Kingdoms.
When the Martian was about 7 feet away, Justinian spoke.
"That is close enough, we can talk from here."
As he stood up, Remnosh stood with him with crossed arms. She sent a look at Justinian who motioned with his head for her to retreat.
'Things are going to get hot here. Fire hot.'
Hearing the word fire, her ingrained fear of fire took effect. Every time he used a campfire, he forced her to sit in front of the flames to make her get over her fear. It was a false reaction, but in all honesty, he didn't want her to turn into a Burning Martian.
She would just become a mindless emotional Vampire so this was just to teach her that flames could not hurt her. Normal flames, because the flames he was about to use were mythical.
Regardless, she retreated away as Justinian and the Diplomat spoke for now.
"Warrior, I am Z'krekatt D'rukk of the Kataieus City State. As our previous messenger spoke, we would like to offer a peace treaty. Every time our warriors meat you they die and this loss of life is needless."
The Martian spoke with rather a high degree of skill and finesse. Another man might have even believed him, but not Justinian. As a Mage and Psychic, he could sense the approach of the army.
They wanted to fully wipe him out this time so Justinian did what any proper Custodes did.
"No."
With a single swing, his giant Guardian Spear sliced his head from his shoulders. He didn't even have to use the Matter Disruption Field. His Soul Bound Spear had been growing stronger by the day.
The spear began to shimmer with a golden purple glow as his soul energy had fully saturated the Auramite. The gold came from his soul which was touched on by the Emperor in the creation of his Custodes and a fusion of Ddraig's and Albion's Soul Energy.
It was fusing with his soul and it had granted him a unique fusion of both souls. Once the diplomat lost his head Justinian took a deep breath and roared to the sky.
"I AM JUSTINIAN ARCADIUS VALORIS VALDOR AND I GIVE THIS CHALLENGE XENOS! FACE ME IF YOU DARE! THERE WILL BE NO ESCAPE FROM ME!"
He opened his hand and brought out his helmet which like his gear began to shimmer with a purple and golden glow. He placed it on his head as he watched as the ground in front of him burst open.
Just as Remnosh said, he saw at the minimum 30,000 Martians with several more Elites to lead them. They stayed in the back, but along with them, they brought their Bioships which had taken combat modes with living weapons.
The regular Martians were armed with what seemed to be armor that had Psychic Energy flowing through it. It was nowhere near what the Elites wore and it seemed to be something that the rank and file wore when in battle.
From the middle of the army, he saw a giant Martian that towered over even other Elites. This big bastard was 30 feet tall and when Remnosh saw him she shuddered.
"Father."
The Giant wore a full set of Psychic Armor and he held a large Psychic Glave. The quality of his gear was beyond what even his son and daughter had worn. Justinian suddenly felt the Martian attack his mind with a Psychic attack.
Almost mockingly, he retaliated with his Psychic Energy causing a clash of Psychics. Feeling this made the Patriarch grin.
"You are like us Warrior?"
"If you mean Psychic then yes. Have you finally come to kill me?"
"Yes. You are an inconvenience and your enslaving my daughter to your will won't be tolerated. I shall kill her to cleanse this shame on my house."
Remnosh in the distance sighed.
"That sounds about right."
'Master, can you just kill him?'
'That is the plan.'
Rather than continue talking, Justinian clenched the handle of his Guardian Spear which now also worked as a Magic Focus like a mage's staff. He surged his Psychic Energy and Mana into the staff as a series of Magic Circles began to glow all around it.
Seeing that made the Pariatch snarl.
"What are you doing?"
"Come and find out."
Before the Patriarch even gave the order to attack, he had finished casting. The speed at which he could form thoughts, shape mana, and psychic energy was almost unfair. He held his left hand out and a deep dark red flame began to burn.
In High Gothic, he spoke an ominous spell.
"I cast the Rubric."
He tossed Ddraig's fire into the sky which made every Martian feel as if some god had just descended on them. That small fireball in seconds began to grow larger and larger as it fed on his energy.
In seconds it seemed that a new dark red sun had appeared in the sky and this terrified the Martians. They began to flee with some even trying to burrow themselves in the ground. Justinian slammed the butt of his spear into the ground and caused the Rubric to activate.
Ddraig's Soul Destroying never extinguishing flames enveloped the sky. The Martians screeched in terror as these were not mundane flames. These were Dragon Flames burning with Psychic Energy.
This abomination caused the White Martians to scatter, but there was no escape. Like the original Rubric, bolts of fire began to strike down at the Martian Army. Each Martian that had the ill fate of being burned was reduced to nothing.
Their Psychic Might was extinguished and their souls followed. This included Severel Elites who could not extinguish the flames. It was impossible as the Rubric struck their chests to not allow them to cut off their limbs.
As for the Father of Remnosh when he was struck by a bolt, he began to scream as the flames would not stop. The more he tried to use his Psychic Energy the more that was burned away.
"NO! CURSE YOU!"
Justinian smirked as he lowered his spear causing the Rubric to begin to come undone. Though, he had one last use of the remaining flames, and like a meteor, they came down into the middle of the army.
A massive explosion of Blazing Flamesg surged through the Martian Army killing any who were even touched by the flames. Justinian saw how Remnosh's Father crumbled to the ground as the flames had not stopped burning.
He walked toward the giant who collapsed as his head burned to ash.
"You know, I got an idea."
Justinian held his hand out and began to draw all the flames toward him. He didn't kill every Martian as there were a few lucky ones who were further in the back and didn't touch the flames.
They were the minority as the Rubric killed as many as it could. At a glance of the 30,000 Martians, only around 450 lived. Once all of Ddraig's dark red flames that never stopped burning were collected he spoke to Ddraig.
"Hey, since I am your host, this can't harm me right?"
[Correct.]
He removed his helmet and swallowed the flames. Both Ddraig and Albion did not expect that at all and just as he expected the flames went out in his gut.
{You know, I thought you were going to draw out all the energy of them. Eating it works.}
[I never thought to do that, but it does work I guess.]
"When in need, just eat it."
He looked at the Martians who lived.
"All of you, come here if you do not want me to cast a second spell."
The survivors all instantly obeyed which included several Elites who had stayed in the back including Remnosh's brother. For now, he picked up the Psychic Glave of the Patriarch as he was going to melt it down to see if he could not forge a second weapon.
(How common are Mages with Psionics? I think they are a thing in DnD, but where else? We going to take a City State, the first step to turning Mars into a Forge World is taken.)