I Am The Swarm

The pursuit of power often involves bloodshed, and over the years, Antonio had not shied away from employing ruthless tactics. His unprecedented move to extend his term beyond the traditional three allowed terms—justified by the war effort against an external threat—faced significant opposition despite its patriotic framing.

As long as Antonio remained strong, these hidden factions posed no real threat. However, in the current climate, a single misstep could cause his carefully constructed authority to collapse.

These dissenters were well-hidden, and Antonio suspected some were even within his inner circle. The unsolved breach of the Longevity Serum laboratory years ago highlighted the existence of forces beyond his control, despite his outward dominance.

Antonio had long suspected the identities of these individuals. Their previous actions, while disruptive, were tolerable given their elevated status and utility. However, circumstances had changed—Antonio now had to identify and eliminate them.

Without these opposition forces, he would have the undisputed authority to control the narrative. Even surrender could be reframed as a strategic decision, potentially turning a burden into an advantage.

But before he could act, the opposition struck first.

News from the frontlines somehow leaked, flooding the Riken social networks overnight. The reports, laden with technical terminology, appeared highly credible but were difficult for the average citizen to understand.

No matter—an army of “experts” emerged seemingly out of nowhere, breaking down the reports into plain language for the public. Videos and commentary further amplified the message, pointing fingers squarely at the Council and Antonio himself, accusing his lust for power of leading to the current crisis.

The reports claimed the Swarm invasion was merely a defensive response, arguing that it was the Rikens who had first encroached upon Swarm territory. To support this, classified documents from the administration of Antonio’s predecessor, President Derlin, were leaked and made public.

The revelation shocked the uninformed Riken populace to their core. Stunned, they reeled as their worldview crumbled.

The destruction of the Trinbrian District, long believed to be the catalyst for the Riken-Swarm conflict, was exposed as a carefully orchestrated conspiracy by the Council and military.

(Somewhere, the Overlord smirked: “Finally found a way to offload that blame.”)

The narrative shifted dramatically. The Rikens, once perceived as the victims, were now unmasked as the aggressors—a revelation that caught everyone off guard.

With the Swarm occupying Planet Izumo and poised to strike at the heart of the Riken civilization, the timing could not have been worse. The Rikens stood on the brink of extinction, yet the Council and Antonio had concealed the truth. This enraged the populace.

When Antonio learned of the uproar, he realized he had missed his window to act decisively. While he had been verifying the authenticity of the reports, the opposition had moved swiftly.

What shocked him most was the sheer scale of the opposition’s coordination. Despite his tight control, they managed to unleash such a powerful wave of dissent. This indicated careful planning and extensive resources—perhaps even Swarm involvement.

Shaking his head, Antonio dismissed the thought. His mind was racing with paranoia. The Swarm’s involvement? Impossible.

Antonio’s political skill soon reasserted itself. After a brief period of disarray, he regained his composure and issued a series of decisive orders.

The Rikens were a high-tech civilization. The security reforms following the Longevity Serum laboratory incident had greatly expanded surveillance infrastructure, including an increased number of monitoring devices.

Leveraging the wartime state of emergency and strict network controls, Antonio’s administration swiftly suppressed the flood of news. Within a short span, the media coverage vanished, and key agitators were tracked down by security forces and detained.

Antonio had contained the immediate fallout, but he knew this was just the beginning of a deeper and more dangerous struggle.

Following investigations, it turned out that most of the Rikens involved in the protests were merely external agents hired to follow a pre-drafted script in exchange for payment, with no understanding of the broader situation. Others were simply idealistic citizens dissatisfied with the Council and volunteering their efforts for free.

This outcome left Antonio deeply frustrated.

While the primary instigators remained at large, Antonio had successfully suppressed the situation for the time being, offering him a brief respite.

But this relief was likely wishful thinking. Though the visible flames had been extinguished, the underlying tensions surged even more fiercely.

Decades of wartime austerity had stripped the Rikens of their once-prosperous lives. Most of their wealth was funneled into military buildup, leaving citizens to endure a meager existence devoid of cultural or recreational enrichment. Many lived as though they were the walking dead.

Resentment had long simmered among the populace, but the existential threat to their species kept them compliant. Now, with the revelation that their suffering had been for a series of flawed decisions, the people felt deeply betrayed.

One day after the initial leak, offline protests and petitions broke out.

Ordinary Rikens, limited in their access to accurate information, were easily swayed by manipulative rhetoric. Under the influence of skilled agitators, the protests swelled rapidly, soon reaching an unignorable scale.

In wartime, troop deployment bypassed the usual bureaucratic processes. Antonio swiftly mobilized military forces to encircle the demonstrators.

Initially, the protesters panicked at the show of force, but soon, emboldened by the sheer size of their numbers and a belief in law by numbers, they resumed their advance. When they realized the military was merely containing them and not taking direct action, their courage grew. Eventually, physical clashes erupted between protesters and soldiers.

The opposition, having infiltrated the military long ago, subtly influenced the response. Coupled with the growing doubts and frustrations within the ranks, many soldiers displayed remarkable leniency toward the protesters.

Antonio quickly realized that the situation was spiraling out of control. The opposition’s reach and resources far exceeded his expectations. Simultaneous uprisings erupted in over a thousand cities worldwide. Many of the military units stationed in these areas had been compromised, further complicating the response. Antonio marveled at the scale and planning behind the protests.

To regain control, Antonio knew he had to quell the anger of the manipulated masses. Once order was restored, he could regain the upper hand and take the fight to his opponents. He was determined to ensure the opposition paid dearly for their defiance.

Denying the leaked information was no longer a viable option. Doing so would only fuel suspicions and appear as a cover-up. Instead, Antonio resolved to acknowledge the revelations outright and scapegoat a figure of sufficient importance.

With his consolidated power, no one dared suggest Antonio himself as the scapegoat. He had already identified a more suitable candidate for the role—someone perfectly positioned to take the fall.

On a remote island far from the mainland, sunlight streamed over white-gold sands. The island was dotted with uniquely designed villas and bungalows. Among these structures, hidden restaurants served rare delicacies, including natural meats that were considered a luxury in Riken society.

Devoid of docks, the island relied on air transport for all supplies. Only the wealthiest and most powerful Rikens had access to this secluded retreat, a haven seemingly untouched by the chaos of the outside world.

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