After the water in the underground passage gradually receded, Kairuot led the soldiers into the tunnel leading to the Command Center. They encountered almost no resistance and smoothly arrived at the central area of the Command Center. They searched among the bodies for Belche but unfortunately found no trace of him.
Fair Connie said, "With Belche's skills, he certainly wouldn't drown in this flood. He must have escaped to hide somewhere else. We need to find him!"
Xiao Li asked, "Where could he escape to?"
Kairuot shook his head and replied, "It's hard to determine right now. After all, this palace is too large; it's very easy to hide someone."
At that moment, a Martian soldier saluted and reported, "Report, Commander! Commander Bellwen sent me to inform you all—Capricorn Planet's Capricorn Belche has entered the vicinity of the planet and is engaged in a fierce space battle with Mars Fleet. Some mechs have already entered Capricorn Planet and are heading directly towards Capricorn Palace. Their intention is clear; they want to rescue King Belche."
Kairuot immediately understood Belche's current location—he said, "Good, his position has been exposed so quickly. It seems Belche has no choice but to go all out. We will set off immediately for Capricorn Palace; Belche must be planning to escape from there, and we will have our final battle with him there!"
Fair Connie nodded in agreement with Kairuot's judgment, and everyone quickly took action, heading towards Capricorn Palace!
To reach Capricorn Palace, they needed to travel on the ground. As soon as Kairuot and his team arrived on the surface, they encountered numerous Capricorn Mother Ship mechs that began a frenzied barrage and bombardment against them. Fortunately, with the cover of Martian mechs, they safely entered their respective mechs and drove towards the palace at full speed.
Kairuot's mech was the first to charge above Capricorn Palace. The other mechs received orders and rushed to the skies above Capricorn Palace, engaging in combat against the hundreds of enemy mechs in the air. Strictly speaking, Martian mechs were technologically inferior compared to Capricornian mechs, resulting in heavier damage for Martians during the battle.
Fortunately, Bel I noticed that Kairuot's mech legion was at a disadvantage and quietly activated the second weapon system of Capricorn Planet: anti-air Missiles, Laser Cannons, and Electromagnetic Cannons. They unleashed a powerful barrage against the Capricorn Mother Ship mechs, causing them to lose their armor and retreat in disarray as Martian mechs turned their disadvantage into an advantage.
Seeing that they had lost aerial superiority, the commander of the Capricorn Mother Ship mechs realized that continuing the fight would result in total annihilation for their forces. They immediately air-dropped a large number of soldiers into various areas of the palace to prepare for urban warfare against the Martians while their mechs retreated in disarray.
As the Martians' mechs prepared to bombard and shoot at the soldiers of the Capricorn Mother Ship that had landed in the palace, they received a strong request from Bel I, who hoped that Mars would use light weapons as much as possible and avoid damaging the palace's buildings, preserving the heritage of their ancestors.
Kairuot, grateful for Bel I's assistance and somewhat in agreement with his conditions, agreed to comply. Thus, the group exited their mechs, armed themselves with handheld weapons, and prepared to capture Capricorn Palace with minimal damage to the structures!
Commander Bellwen of Mars did not initially order the airborne soldiers to converge on the royal residence; instead, he commanded the Martians' Special Forces to adopt a strategy of isolated strikes, engaging in guerrilla warfare throughout the city. Consequently, intense urban combat began.
Kairuot's squad was the strongest in overall capability, targeting the royal residence directly. The airborne troops of the Capricorn Mother Ship that had landed in the palace area were also elite forces of Belche, aiming to rescue their King Belche.
A fierce battle erupted outside the palace courtyard. The Capricornian forces used the high walls of the courtyard for cover, occupying advantageous positions above and began sniping at the Martian soldiers through gaps in the walls.
Without heavy weapons, attacking the palace courtyard was extremely difficult. The open ground in front of the palace offered no cover, making it impossible for Martian forces to approach. Both sides exchanged fire across the open space, resulting in a stalemate that lasted nearly an hour...
Xiaoli was not a patient person; in frustration, she called in her mech and launched an aerial bombardment against the Capricornian defenders. She disregarded any concerns about Capricorn Planet's cultural relics and used high-explosive nuclear bombs to demolish a section of the palace wall. Finally, a breach was created, allowing Martians to enter the palace courtyard.
The courtyard of Capricorn Palace is located within Capricorn Palace itself and is the largest area within the entire royal complex. The entire residence is shaped like an inverted "convex," with dozens of grand halls, towers, and venues inside. The palaces are arranged along a central axis, orderly and well-structured.
Since Kairuot blew up the King's Hall, Belche replaced Bel I's Clone guards with all members from Capricorn Mother Ship's Special Forces and moved his meeting place to Celestial Abode. He also increased sentries and weaponry around the hall, making it impossible for even Bel I to know how many soldiers were stationed inside.
These Special Forces members from Capricorn Mother Ship were all well-trained. Coupled with personnel from airborne units, they posed a significant threat to the Martian forces that had breached into the palace courtyard.
Although the Special Operations Soldiers of the Martians are not bad, they are defenseless against the sniping of the Capricorn Soldiers hiding in the shadows. With every step forward, there are casualties among the Martians. If this continues, the Martians who invade the palace will ultimately be wiped out. Fortunately, with the cover of the Xiao Li Mecha, the casualties of the Martians have been somewhat reduced.
Fair Connie observed this and said to Kairuot, "We can't keep dragging this out with them; otherwise, we will all perish. Quickly bring all the mechas here and blow up this palace, regardless of any ancient relics!"
Kairuot immediately called for all mecha members to rush to the sky above the palace and unleashed a barrage of attacks on it. The soldiers of the Capricorn Mother Ship had no way to counter the mechas in the air; they could only hide in the dark passages as they were bombarded. After dozens of rounds of bombing, the entire palace was engulfed in flames, with not a single intact building left, reduced to ruins.
Upon hearing this news, Bel I changed from his usual gentle demeanor and scolded Kairuot through his wristband communication. He said, "Who told you to do this? You are a villain without integrity! To invade a palace and actually use mechas. You have destroyed thousands of years of our Capricorn Planet's cultural heritage. Kairuot, you are a criminal in history! Our future cooperation ends here."
At this moment, Kairuot was consumed by the intensity of battle and filled with rage. He retorted, "Bel I, if you have what it takes, why don't you send troops here to try? You're like a turtle hiding its head; you haven't sent out a single robot and only know how to preserve your strength while having the face to scold me. When you watch your comrades fall one by one in battle, you would do the same. Eliminating the enemy's living forces is the true way; let those ancient relics go to hell! Human life is what matters most. After the war is over, I will help you rebuild a brand new palace!"
This retort left Bel I speechless...
Bel I also wished he could send troops; however, his superior Belzon forbade him from doing so and ordered him to remain still and wait for an opportunity.
At this time, Belzon had quietly entered Capricorn Planet. He was sitting in a secret large underground chamber on Capricorn Planet, with Bel I beside him. This was the second Command Center of Capricorn Planet, known only to Bel I and Belzon. Belzon lounged on the sofa, leisurely watching the war situation on the screen. Prior to this, they had secretly launched satellites to monitor Capricorn Planet; he could see every move clearly, and all actions were under his control.
After experiencing Kairuot's dialogue, Belzon could no longer hold back and issued an order: "Order all mechas of the First Mobile Brigade to mobilize; target the northern corner area of the palace for bombardment and level it to the ground."
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