Six ape masters piloting their craft, all forged by the hand of Kusta the Sinner, possessed attack screening capabilities far superior to standard fighters. The Boron shockwave did little to damage these machines.

This was a do-or-die tactic; anyone witnessing it knew that if these nine fighters could be downed, victory in this engagement was practically within grasp. Fight, then.

Yet, bringing down these nine fighters was far from simple, especially since they were all equipped with stealth systems, vanishing from the rear guard's radar the instant they appeared.

Yang Ying immediately ordered the images detected by the Observers to be relayed to the Tigros, and swiftly, the various warships regained visual locks on the fleet of ape fighters.

"Sir, Captain. General Hans orders all warships to assume a loose defensive formation, maximize anti-air fire, and maintain a curtain of fire." The staff officer reported.

"Comply. Full thrust to the port thrusters," Howard commanded.

As the order was executed, several thrusters on the Number One Ship's port side ignited simultaneously, causing the vessel to shift smoothly toward the starboard.

Not just the Number One Ship; hundreds of warships, large and small, comprising the rear guard dispersed, weaving a net of light from their anti-air beams, enveloping the fleet.

Soon, the nine Master-class fighters charged toward the fleet's perimeter, unleashing dozens of nuclear missiles simultaneously. The missiles arrived in staggered succession, streaking toward the center of the fleet at terrifying velocity.

The nuclear missiles slammed into the curtain of fire, instantly triggering violent detonations. The blinding flash illuminated space itself, seemingly intent on scorching everything it touched to ash. Heat and shockwaves propagated outward, causing instrumental failures on several warships.

Following the detonation of the first nuclear weapon, the intense shockwave detonated an adjacent missile, which in turn triggered the next one beside it—a chain reaction of explosions unfolding tens of kilometers ahead of the fleet, creating an extraordinarily spectacular scene.

Outside the bridge viewport of the Number One Ship, the view was almost entirely consumed by dazzling light. The staff officers dared not stare directly at the glare, fearful of being blinded. Yet, Yang Ying gazed straight into the intense radiance, momentarily recalling a saying he often heard: Masters cannot stop an army, but an army cannot stop Masters.

Although the ape forces had nine Masters commanding fighters surpassing solar system standards, relying on just nine individuals to subdue these hundreds of warships was still an impossibility.

The defensive fire net surrounding the entire fleet was too dense, offering no blind spots. Even with the maneuverability of Master-class fighters, it was impossible to operate freely amidst a barrage of fire coming from every direction. At best, they could skim the outer perimeter.

After the first salvo of nuclear missiles was entirely eliminated, only a few small to medium-sized warships at the very front of the fleet lost combat capability. They were too close to the blasts; the electromagnetic pulse and gamma radiation crippled much of their electronic apparatus.

General Hans broadcasted the message, "Hold steady," to all ships. He did not recall the fighter wings but ordered them to continue their assault on the Ancient Legion's vessels.

At this moment, the fleet's anti-air fire was indiscriminate; if the friendly fighters returned now, they would simply be shredded by their own side.

The nine Master-class fighters skillfully evaded a string of beams on the periphery of the fire net, attempting to close in on the fleet. But upon reaching the middle layer of the defense, they were stopped by the intense volume of fire, retreating one step for every two they tried to advance.

The deepest penetration achieved by one Master-class fighter brought it within a mere ten thousand meters of the fleet, yet even that proximity forced it back by the sheer density of the defensive barrage.

Under these conditions, they dared not launch more nuclear missiles. If a missile were intercepted and detonated too close to the launcher, they themselves would be drawn into the collateral damage.

During this stalemate, Ancient Legion warships were sunk one after another. Even the escape pods were paralyzed and unable to launch under the assault, leaving some apes, clad in EVA suits, floating adrift in space, seemingly awaiting rescue from their comrades.

However, a portion of the Ancient Legion's smaller and medium-sized warships had managed to evade the missile attacks. These became priority targets for the Terran fighter wings. While they possessed some means of resistance, against the human fighters holding the advantage, such resistance was child's play.

It was common to see hundreds of fighters swarming a single Ancient Legion vessel. No matter how potent that ship's anti-air defenses were, they could not withstand the sheer volume of a fighter swarm tactic.

The nine Ape Masters realized the tide had irrevocably turned. Even if this human rear guard unit did nothing further and simply retreated, the ape forces could not give chase. Their grand plan—to unite the entire fleet, burdened by ten space cities, while retreating—had failed irrevocably the moment the iodine missiles detonated.

Their current nuclear attack was nothing more than a final, desperate struggle, hoping to snatch a momentary victory. But now, with the rear guard dispersed in defense, destroying the entire fleet with nuclear strikes was clearly impossible.

Thus, the nine Master-class fighters moved far away from the anti-air net, positioning themselves at a safer distance, and began launching their nuclear missiles one by one. To prevent premature sympathetic detonation from nearby blasts, they maintained sufficient spacing between each warhead.

The rear guard reacted instantly. Li Xuan unleashed the interceptor missiles—thousands strong—from the launch bays, meeting the incoming nuclear payload with an overwhelming, sky-darkening surge.

The fire net and the interceptor missiles successfully neutralized the majority of the one hundred-plus nuclear weapons. Only a mere three missiles pierced the defenses of the fire net, engulfing five large warships in the ensuing nuclear explosions.

With the loss of five major warships, slight gaps appeared in the fire net. Two Master-class fighters keenly spotted an opportunity before them and immediately executed emergency vector changes, attempting to punch through the defensive screen via these weaknesses.

If they could infiltrate the rear guard's formation, they could sow enough chaos to allow the remaining seven fighters to break through as well. The rear guard forces recognized the danger and Li Xuan swiftly adjusted the fire net parameters, determined to keep these two Master-class fighters locked out.

The breakthrough vector of one Master-class fighter was aimed directly toward the Number One Ship.

Yang Ying watched the signal for that fighter speed toward him on the screen with unprecedented velocity; his mind and body tensed simultaneously. With supreme mental focus, he brought all one hundred-plus anti-air uranium cannons aimed at the Master-class fighter under his control and slammed the firing stud.

Immediately, a rain of blazing light beams shot out toward the fighter. Concurrently, surrounding warships poured their anti-air fire in support. In that instant, the Master-class fighter seemed to execute a dance step, effortlessly shifting sideways, blinking past all the beams as if teleporting, slipping through the gaps in the light net without losing any momentum!

Yang Ying muttered internally, Truly worthy of a Master-class expert. His next action was a fraction faster: he swept the hundred-plus anti-air cannons across the fighter's projected path.

Simultaneously, Yang Ying pushed his cognitive speed and precognitive abilities to their absolute limits, maneuvering the anti-air cannons to specifically intercept the fighter's trajectory.

"The human controlling these anti-air cannons possesses at least the standard of a Century Master. If a fighter pilot tried to stop me, I could shatter him into a thousand pieces with a single finger, but controlling these cannons—that presents a challenge." The Ape Master inside the fighter regarded the Number One Ship with an icy gaze, executing an urgent evasive maneuver to dodge the incoming beams, falling back slightly.

In just a few short breaths, the beams from the other fighters filled the gap in the fire line, closing off any chance for the Master-class fighter to re-enter.

Meanwhile, the other Master-class fighter was nearly through the fire net when the flagship Tigros suddenly swiveled one of its main weapon turrets toward it. Two Level Six beams erupted directly in front of the fighter.

Against these thick beams of light, the fighter was like a mere skiff on a vast ocean. Had it not suddenly executed a sharp directional shift to evade, it would have been instantly vaporized, leaving not a trace behind.

"Damn that old thief Yan, ruining my chance!" The Ape Master piloting the fighter was furious that his near-successful breach was thwarted. However, the surrounding beams quickly closed ranks, filling the void, and his path forward was lost; he could only retreat steadily.

The nine Ape Masters knew the day was lost. They unleashed their remaining nuclear missiles into the void and instantly turned their craft around, speeding away from the fleet without hesitation.

They did not return to their warships but instead disengaged from the battle entirely, accelerating toward Jupiter's orbit. Before leaving, they deliberately salvaged nearly a hundred un-destroyed Fang fighters still in the fray, taking them along.

The Fang fighters were equipped for long-range flight, possessing high-energy engines locked to energy consumption, life support systems, and other necessities, allowing them to reach Jupiter's orbit without needing resupply.

As for the disabled ships and ordinary apes remaining in the battlefield, they were clearly abandoned by the Masters.

This was because ordinary apes held a negligible status within the Ancient Legion, unworthy of the Ape Masters' notice; they could discard these common drones as easily as stepping on roadside weeds.

However, High-level Apes constituted the ruling class of the Ancient Legion, equivalent to elite warriors and nobility, whom the Ape Masters could not simply ignore to their doom. Thus, they rescued as many of the higher-caste survivors as possible.

"Sir, Captain, a communication is coming through from the Tigros," the staff officer announced.

"Connect it." Yang Ying wore a smile as he watched the hundreds of solitary fighter icons on the radar screen drift into the void. This was all that remained of the Ancient Legion's two thousand-ship main force.

The figures of General Hans and Master Yan appeared on the main screen.

"Congratulations, General Hans. Under your command, this rear guard unit has achieved a miraculous victory, resulting in the complete annihilation of the Ancient Legion's superior pursuing force, with less than a hundred fighters escaping," Yang Ying offered the highest form of praise first.

Judging by General Hans's expression, he still hadn't fully processed the reality of the situation; a trace of bewilderment lingered in his eyes. Yet, he suppressed his internal queries and lavished Yang Ying and the Tran Mercenary Group with the most elegant words, praising their decisive role in this delaying action.