Under the eerie, intense glare of the artificial sun, Lord Krishna drove the magnificent chariot with an unparalleled serenity, his grace a perfect counterpoint to the terrifying intensity of Bahubali.
"Jayadratha is positioned near the western flank, Bahu." Krishna's voice was a calm murmur, guiding the chariot through the chaotic field.
Bahubali, however, was no longer merely King of Magadh. The sight of his retreating army and the presence of the Rakshasa horde had unlocked a primal, destructive rage. He seemed possessed by the fierce energy of Veerabhadra, the destructive manifestation of Shiva.
"He will pay for his arrogance!" Bahubali roared.
Jayadratha, leading his Sindhu archers, saw Bahubali charging toward him and attempted to rally his men. He loosed a continuous stream of arrows, invoking the Mayastra (Illusion Weapon) to create multiple phantom chariots around the true one.
But Bahubali's rage consumed the illusions. With a mighty yell of "HAR HAR MAHADEV!", he unleashed a devastating Aindra Astra. The shower of arrows was so dense, so charged with force, that it not only shredded the illusions but tore through the Sindhu formation.
Jayadratha's soldiers saw their king's primary defense ripped apart by their enemy's sheer fury. They shrieked and began to retreat, viewing Bahubali not as a man, but as a force of nature.
Jayadratha, pale with fear, fought desperately. He threw javelins, maces, and finally challenged Bahubali with his bow, but the fury of the Magadha King was absolute.
Bahubali pressed the attack, firing arrows that shattered Jayadratha's protective armor piece by piece. His movements were too fast, too powerful; there was no opening, no reprieve. Jayadratha was beaten, his own courage failing under the onslaught.
With a final, bone-jarring shot, Bahubali snapped Jayadratha's bow in two. The King of Sindhu stood disarmed and helpless, his face a mask of terror.
Bahubali drew back the Ajaya Bow for the final, fatal shot.
"Bahu!" Krishna's voice snapped, sharp and immediate. "Remember the boon! Jayadratha's head must not touch the ground! His father, Vridhakshatra, performed a penance, and any man who causes Jayadratha's head to fall to the earth will have his own head explode!"
Bahubali nodded, his rage momentarily tempered by the strategic warning. He nocked two arrows in rapid succession.
The first arrow flew with surgical precision, slicing Jayadratha's head cleanly from his body. The second arrow, guided by Bahubali's ultimate concentration, struck the severed head and carried it high into the air, flying across the entire length of Kurukshetra towards the holy region of Samanta-panchaka.
At Samanta-panchaka, Vridhakshatra sat in deep penance. He felt a soft, unexpected weight settle into his lap. He opened his eyes, startled by the interruption, and instantly let out a horrified, silent scream. He saw the detached, lifeless head of his son. In shock, the horrified father involuntarily threw the head onto the ground.
The moment Jayadratha's head hit the earth, the fatal condition of the boon was met. Vridhakshatra's head exploded into a thousand pieces, ending his life and the ancient curse.
Bahubali turned to Krishna, his breathing heavy. "The boon is neutralized, Prabhu. Now, let us finish the rest."
The urgency of Bahubali's command drove the other two prongs of the trident.
Karna met the relentless Bhagadatta with devastating skill. Bhagadatta, riding his magnificent war elephant, pressed the attack, but Karna was focused only on victory. The duel was a battle of heavy weapons against divine archery.
Karna invoked the powerful Bhargavastra (Parashurama's Weapon), sending a terrifying wave of fiery arrows that surrounded Bhagadatta and his elephant. The beast, despite its training, panicked under the intense heat and light.
Karna's archery was relentless, finally targeting the massive armor plates of the elephant and the king's standard.
With a final, immense arrow, Karna shattered Bhagadatta's bow and struck his chest armor, forcing the King of Pragjyotisha to fall from his elephant and be killed in the process. His forces, witnessing the death of their powerful king, immediately stopped fighting and began to withdraw.
Arjuna, facing the arrogant Paundraka Vasudeva, fought a swift and definitive battle. Paundraka launched the Agneya Astra, but Arjuna countered it effortlessly with the Varunastra, creating a balanced shield.
Arjuna then focused his attack, realizing that Paundraka's bravado hid a lack of true depth.
Arjuna quickly disabled Paundraka's chariot and pierced his protective armor.
As Arjuna prepared to pivot and address the remaining commanders, Shakuni emerged from the chaos, aiming his own arrow at Arjuna. "Foolish nephew! I promised Jayadratha, and I will honor my words!"
Arjuna, forewarned by the day's strategies, showed no hesitation. With the same cold precision he used on Paundraka, Arjuna countered Shakuni's weak attempt and shot an arrow that found its mark.
The Ghandara King, the architect of countless manipulations, fell from his chariot, his life ending swiftly and without ceremony.
With Jayadratha killed and Bhagadatta, Paundraka Vasudeva, and Shakuni defeated or dead, the remaining human kings of the Allied Army were completely demoralized.
Bahubali, Karna, and Arjuna, who had now joined Rudra, who was already defeating the enemy armies, turned their combined fury onto the last remnants of the human resistance.
They systematically engaged and killed the lesser kings of Chedi, Bhidrava, and Kamrup. Facing the victorious and terrifying triad, the human forces realized their cause was lost.
Seeing their leaders slain and their coalition shattered, the remaining human soldiers dropped their weapons, cried out their surrender, and began to retreat en masse from the battlefield.
The only foe remaining on Kurukshetra, under the glare of the artificial sun, was the horrifying, unholy army of the Rakshasa Krodhakala.