The additional swarms did not change the result.
Missiles continued rising from both formations. Airburst warheads opened above the streets, tearing holes through the larger clouds before they could descend. The insects that reached the armored lines crawled over sealed hatches and external optics, but they could not enter the troop compartments.
The Bastions shifted whenever one vehicle lost visibility. Another took over its lane until the affected cameras cleared.
Below them, the ground battle continued.
Vanguard shells struck the deeper intersections. Guardian APCs swept the road mouths. HE missiles and forty-millimeter grenades broke apart the concentrations behind them, while the Machine Gunners and rifles handled whatever crossed the wreckage.
Red markers continued disappearing.
"Remaining contact count?" Hans asked.
Matilda reviewed both engagement areas.
"Below five thousand. Most remain inside the central parking structures and the eastern shopping blocks."
