The soldiers couldn't believe their eyes. They were cheering for Raktapasu. They were confident and knew he was going to win. But now he lay dead in the mud. Blood around him. In front of him stood Dhanudanda towering over Raktapasu. Panting and trying to catch his breath but proud and serious. The soldiers didn't have the courage to attack him. They stood there, frozen, their gaze going from Dhanudanda to Raktapasu. At that moment the entire battlefield stood as if frozen. Killing a warlord was not an easy task. And killing a warlord who was able to kill a Kaalrath? Nearly impossible.
From a distance, Kritipal and Eknandini heard what just happened. They couldn't believe it. Eknandini moved automatically, leaving her fight behind. Kritipal was shook. He looked at Eknandini, then at Parashar. Parashar and others could have attacked them in that moment, but no one moved. Kritipal looked at Parashar again, as if saying thank you for not striking. Parashar lowered his sword. The twins had stopped too but did not drop their defence.
Kritipal and Eknandini moved through the soldiers and came near the spot where Raktapasu and Dhanudanda were fighting. Eknandini saw Raktapasu's lifeless body and then looked at Dhanudanda. Fury surged through her veins. Raktapasu was not just a colleague—he was a friend. Someone who had fought beside her for years. She stepped forward. Kritipal did not try to stop her. He handed her a sword. In that moment, Eknandini wanted to cut Dhanudanda into pieces.
As she moved, her eyes caught sight of Sharvas. He was standing at a high platform, unmoving, almost like a statue. His presence was like death itself. Sharvas and Raktapasu had shared a deep bond. Sharvas lifted his hand and stopped Eknandini from moving further. Eknandini looked at him, refusing to nod. Sharvas raised his hand again, firm and silent. He wanted her to stop.
With his left hand he signalled his men. Three archers came forward, each holding an arrow tipped with flame. They pulled back their strings and released. The arrows soared into the sky. The battlefield watched, still and tense. No one understood what was happening. No one had expected Raktapasu to die in this battle. Everyone was shocked. But someone had to fall in a duel like that. Parashar's camp would have felt the same way if Dhanudanda had died.
The flaming arrows arced through the sky, crossing a long distance before disappearing. What did it mean? What now?
Suddenly, Sharvas' soldiers began to move back. In perfect coordination, they formed a dense wall of defence and began retreating, slowly but steadily. Parashar's side was confused. What exactly was going on?
Parashar gripped his sword tighter. The twins prepared their weapons. Arya and Dhanudanda looked at each other and braced themselves. Savignya, who had stopped her fight, dismounted her horse and walked forward to see more clearly.
Eknandini, who was still filled with fury, suddenly stopped and smiled at Arya and Dhanudanda. Kritipal moved back with the soldiers, a cunning smile on his face.
And then it happened.
From the woods on one side, tall red flags emerged, rising above the trees. The same thing happened on the other side too. The twins saw the flags—and froze. They recognized them instantly.
Rohak.
Danger.
Rohak and his men had been keeping an eye over and around the battlefield. It was them raising the red flags to alert the twins and Arya.
"Fall back! Wall! Defence!" yelled Parashar, his voice cutting through the noise. He had seen the red flags too. Savignya mounted her horse again and rode back to the war machines. She waved a red cloth high into the air, signalling her engineers and artillery crew.
War machines, which had been targeting Sharvas' men in a single direction, were now repositioned. Crews adjusted their aim, forming a circular perimeter so they could fire in all directions if needed.
Arya and Dhanudanda ran towards Parashar to regroup. And then the ground trembled.
Not metaphorically. Literally.
Tremors ran through the entire battlefield. Soldiers stumbled, unsure of what they were feeling. Parashar's side, confused and distracted, forgot that they were in a war. They forgot that the enemy still stood before them.
A crashing sound followed. A thunderous roar.
The land split with a crack. Trees collapsed like twigs.
Rudra fell back, stunned. Raghav couldn't believe what he was seeing. Arya and Dhanudanda froze, not knowing what to do.
Sharvas' message had been answered.
It was the Kshoniraajas.
Eight of them.