After Yang Ying departed, Blade continued to pilot the Ghost fighter through the battlefield, its drone cannons sweeping beams toward the Ancient Legion’s forces. The third-generation specialized Ghost fighter possessed nearly infinite energy and power for its drone cannons; as long as the energy replenishment cycles for the drones were managed, there was never any concern about running out of beam fire.

Across the plain before one fortress, the initial twenty robot battalions had been mostly annihilated by the escort fleet’s barrage, leaving the field pocked with large and small craters, strewn everywhere with robot debris.

Amidst the devastation, tens of thousands of robots struggled back to their feet, coated in dust and smoke, some still flickering with electrical sparks. They staggered forward, lurching toward the Earth forces' line.

The escort frigates continued to pour fire onto the battlefield, annihilating the robots in massive waves. After several barrages, the Earth ground troops surged forward, tearing through the robot defenses. The remaining machines were either cut down by infantry laser rifles or pulverized by tank cannons.

The ground forces were now essentially cleaning up the battlefield, eliminating the enemy forces that the artillery had already scoured. The entire contingent marched onward, pressing toward Fortress One.

The main body of Fortress One occupied nearly twenty square kilometers, its shell resembling a colossal, obsidian egg. Rumor had it that this shell was constructed elsewhere, towed to Callisto by warships, and then assembled on-site.

In front of the entrance stood an alloy-steel bridge about five hundred meters long, spanning an abyss so deep it seemed bottomless. The bridge deck was roughly twenty meters wide, wide enough for an elephant to walk across, or for three tanks to pass abreast.

By now, this bridge had been retracted into the fortress after the final contingent of troops had retreated inside. The massive gates of the fortress slammed shut. The outer walls were riddled with countless pillboxes and firing slits, from which the faint glint of defensive gun barrels and cannon muzzles could be seen—all automated defense turrets.

However, the most formidable Tier-Six fortress cannons had already been neutralized. No matter how tough the fortress shell was, against the might of the escort fleet, it was merely a matter of time.

Seemingly realizing that Fortress One was on the verge of collapse, and with its main cannons silenced, the Ancient Legion’s fleet in space began its withdrawal, pulling back toward the far side of Callisto.

High above the battlefield, the Ancient Legion’s fighter squadrons also started retreating. Simultaneously, thousands of fighter-transport combinations launched from Fortress One—clearly, the garrison had plans for an orderly departure as well.

They rendezvoused with thousands of Ape warrior fighters hovering overhead and transferred toward Fortress Two on Callisto.

The Earth fighter corps intercepted them for several hundred kilometers, only turning back once they entered the defensive range of Fortress Two.

As a result of this engagement, the Ape aerial forces suffered severe losses; only fifty percent of their fighters made it safely into Fortress Two’s defensive perimeter.

Yet, even though most of the garrison had fled Fortress One, a significant contingent of Ape troops remained behind to cover the retreat, controlling the tens of thousands of remaining combat robots and hundreds of Ancient Beasts, ensuring the Earth forces would not gain easy possession of the fortress.

High above the battlefield, after the Ape fighters had retreated, the escort fleet began its assault on the fortress. Tens of thousands of beams hammered the obsidian egg, first systematically sweeping away the automated defense turrets, and then concentrating fire on a specific area.

Under the sustained beam bombardment, the surface of that section began to melt inward, quickly opening small breaches. The beams then intensified, widening these initial openings.

Soon, the fortress’s localized fire support was decimated. The outer shell cracked open, creating a massive breach that caused the internal atmosphere to vent rapidly. The battlefield commander seized the moment, dispatching fighters to secure transport craft, which then rushed into the fortress under the cover of overwhelming firepower.

Inside those transports were Psionicists and Special Forces units. As soon as they entered, they dispersed to purge the remaining Ancient Legion forces. The residual Ape units offered determined resistance, possessing an intimate knowledge of the fortress’s structure. They secured advantageous positions, making the Earth forces’ advance extremely difficult.

Meanwhile, inside the bridge of the Earth flagship:

“The tide has turned; Fortress One on Callisto is no longer an issue,” Marshal Alexander declared happily, slapping the armrest.

“Sir, the enemy forces in Fortress One are being suppressed by the Psionicists and Special Forces. The ground commander is inquiring about the next steps,” an aide reported.

“Understood. Fortress One was never the sole objective of this offensive. We deployed the entire Jupiter fleet; what General and I desire is far more than just this one fortress.”

Alexander rose from his command chair, clenching one fist. “Inform the ground commander to leave Fortress One to the Psionicists and Special Forces. All other units are to continue the advance. Stick to the plan: press the advantage and strike immediately toward Fortress Two. Dispatch the large transport ships to recover the ground troops and redeploy them to the designated coordinates outside Fortress Two. Additionally, deploy two more Armored Divisions to reinforce the ground forces. I require this operation to be complete within five hours. Five hours from now, the assault on Fortress Two must commence!”

“Yes, sir!” the aide immediately relayed the order.

“Have the main battle fleets stand by. Give the soldiers sufficient time for rotation and rest. Recover the escape pods and treat the wounded. In five hours, we fight again,” Alexander instructed another aide.

When a warship suffered catastrophic damage and was beyond saving, the captain was authorized to order abandonment. Crew members could then move to the nearest escape pod bay and eject.

Following the fierce battle with the Ancient Legion fleet, the Earth fleet had lost over a hundred warships of various classes. The ejected escape pods numbered in the hundreds, naturally carrying numerous wounded awaiting medical attention.

Even though the intense fighting had ceased, the cleanup operations would still demand significant time and effort.

Outside Fortress One, the main body of the Earth ground forces pivoted, moving to an open area several kilometers away. Large Earth transport ships descended, recovered the troops, and then ascended to join the escort fleet in orbit.

Following this, the massive fleet of thousands of vessels proceeded toward Fortress Two.

Five hours later, the transports arrived at the predetermined drop zone not far from Fortress Two and deployed the ground forces.

Yang Ying’s three Thor units had been heavily targeted during the assault on Fortress One. Their armor was virtually intact nowhere, and their main armaments and shoulder cannons sustained damage requiring major overhaul. Consequently, they would miss the attack on Fortress Two.

The three Thor transport ships hoisted the three Thors aboard, and under the escort of Blade’s Ghost fighter squadron, they returned to the Trans mercenary group’s fleet in space.

Since the Pitril incident, even those within the Earth military who lusted after the Thors would touch their necks and think twice before making a move.

Now, Blade’s reputation as the “Jupiter Butcher” was growing daily, skyrocketing after news of him eliminating Cordemy spread. Coupled with his mercenary status, placing him outside the direct jurisdiction of military law—all these factors combined—had turned Colonel Blade of the Trans Mercenary Group into a byword for 'demon' in the eyes of the Earth generals. If they could avoid provoking him, they would.

Without the Thors, the battle for Fortress Two proceeded more conventionally. The mechanized Earth forces engaged the Ancient Legion’s mixed formations of robots and Ancient Beasts across a hundred-kilometer expanse riddled with impact craters.

The Earth forces had the cover of the escort fleet, but the Ancient Legion held its fortress defense batteries. Fortress Two’s anti-air emplacements and over a hundred intact Tier-Six fortress cannons remained operational, posing a massive threat to the escort fleet with their complete, multi-layered defensive firepower. The fleet had to allocate the majority of its firepower to suppressing these enemy batteries, significantly reducing the support available to the ground troops.

The two sides traded blows: one side targeted fortress cannons, the other targeted escort frigates; one side used armored vehicles to charge the opposing robots, and the other struck back with swarms of Beasts. A war of attrition ensued along the front line, with momentum shifting back and forth.

However, Earth’s military strength was ultimately superior. The escort fleet, composed of three thousand small and medium-sized warships, still held a considerable advantage over the firepower of a single fortress. As time wore on, the Earth forces gradually gained the upper hand.

The armored corps advanced under a rain of artillery fire, breaking through layer after layer of defense. The battlefield was strewn with tragic light-show fragments, stretching fields of scorched craters, and scattered wrecks of damaged vehicles mixed with robot parts—though the lack of oxygen prevented any proper fires.

Simultaneously, in the air and in space above the battlefield, the fighters and warships of both sides engaged in a desperate struggle. Explosions erupted continuously, each one signaling the loss of life.

While the Earth forces possessed superior firepower, the Ancient Legion benefited from superior terrain, utilizing various fortifications to drain the Earth forces’ ordnance. This resilience meant the Earth forces sustained heavy losses.

After all, in the history of warfare, siege craft had always been considered the lowest tier of offensive tactics.

Blade remained highly active on the battlefield. After his Ghost fighters returned to the fleet to fully rearm their twelve drone cannons, he returned to the Callisto theater, continuing his 'butcher' routine. He disabled battery after battery of defensive artillery as if mowing grass. Even if the Ape Masters wished to hunt down Blade and stop this assault, they could not, as an invisible Ghost fighter was not easily found.

When over half of Fortress Two’s defense batteries were neutralized, the Ancient Legion’s main fleet in space began its withdrawal, as did the Ape troops defending Fortress Two. The majority transferred toward Fortress Three, leaving only a few Apes to control the robots and Ancient Beasts, tasked with continuing to slow the Earth forces’ advance.

The battle raged for three hours. After suffering massive casualties, the ground troops finally cleared the gun emplacements surrounding Fortress Two, pierced the defensive line formed by the Beast swarms and robot units, and stormed into Fortress Two.