Arya and Dhanudanda were moving ahead fiercely. They were fighting men after men. They were pushing forward. Their soldiers followed them, pressing further in the Kavach formation. Raktapasu took charge and started knocking enemies out. One by one, men fell from both sides, but the breach was not easy. Dhanudanda and Arya were stopped by another wall of soldiers. Both of them fell back in formation. They pushed again. Spears pierced through! Dhanudanda took the left and Arya went for the right. Their soldiers pushed in the center. The wall was not easy to breach.
Dhanudanda sheathed both his swords. He pulled an enemy shield from the Kavach formation. The soldier failed to stop Dhanudanda from pulling him. Dhanudanda threw away the shield and picked up the soldier in his arms. He held his head in a chokehold and snapped the soldier's neck. By the time Dhanudanda could push away the dead soldier, another one took his place. So Dhanudanda pushed on. Enemy soldiers took a step back, seeing the brutality by Dhanudanda. He was showing them how he became a warlord.
On the other side, Arya fought with his sword. His blade pierced through a soldier in the wall, making an opening. Arya pushed in, but two soldiers retaliated. Now Arya was engaged with both of them. He signaled the archers on elephants. They showered the enemy with arrows. Arya moved ahead.
Raktapasu was taking enemy soldiers out one by one. They were no match for him. Two or three soldiers were no problem for him at all. He stood his ground, defeating whoever came in his way.
Parashar's convoy was surrounded by Eknandini and Kritipal. Both of them started pushing in. They wanted to separate Parashar from Dhanudanda and Arya. But the great bull stayed put. His men were pushing both warlords' forces back. Eknandini was cutting down enemies with her parshus. On the other side, Kritipal swung his battle axe, sending men flying. Parashar fought off those who managed to break into the convoy, his sword carving a bloody path.
Savignya readied another set of boulders, her war machines reloaded swiftly.
Ashvapati stood directing the men under his control. His commands were followed without question, his eyes scanning the battlefield for any weaknesses.
Sharvas was finishing off men as if he were on a killing spree. No one could stand in his way. His sword danced in his hands, cutting through flesh and bone alike, his expression unreadable beneath the chaos.
Multiple attempts to breach the Kavach, but Arya and Dhanudanda couldn't do it. Raktapasu held the wall together impressively. Then, from behind, Arya and Dhanudanda heard Parashar's voice. They looked back. A small green flag came up. Arya and Dhanudanda shouted, "Make way! Make way!" Their men quickly stepped aside, forming a narrow passage.
A deep, eerie silence spread among the soldiers. The air grew heavy with an unspoken dread. Arya looked in horror as ten Kaalraths moved forward. Their massive swords gleamed under the sun, and they were completely covered in black armor, faceless shadows of destruction. The Kaalraths marched without hesitation, their footsteps synchronized like a death toll. Their arrival sent a ripple of fear through the ranks.
The ten Kaalraths moved swiftly. Their swords pierced through enemy shields like they were made of parchment. Their presence alone sent shivers down the spines of those who stood in their path.
An opening!
The Kavach broke!
Dhanudanda and Arya rushed in with their men. The Kaalraths fell back, moving like phantoms. Raktapasu looked shocked. The Kaalraths! Why are they here?! They cut through my men like nothing. They are the bringers of destruction. How did they manage to involve Kaalraths?!
A shocked Raktapasu was disturbed from his chain of thoughts by an arrow whistling past him. He gritted his teeth, tightened his grip on his sword, swallowed hard, and started killing more and more men. He was now excited. So today is the day I kill a Kaalrath. He smiled. His men followed him.
The cavalry unit quickly filled the gap in the Kavach, but Arya and Dhanudanda had already entered the inner part with a few soldiers to their side.
Parashar remained locked in a relentless battle. His sword clashed with Eknandini's parshus, his strength alone stopping the sharp twin axes from tearing through him. Eknandini twisted, trying to break his defense, but Parashar shoved her back with brute force. Kritipal swung his massive battle axe, aiming to break the formation, but Parashar ducked and countered with a heavy strike to his side, making the warlord stumble. Blood soaked the ground, yet none of them faltered.
Arya and Dhanudanda saw Raktapasu. He was a force of destruction, cutting through men like a whirlwind. He turned and saw them.
Their eyes locked.
They moved!