With the human command structure of the Allied Army shattered and their forces retreating, Bahubali turned his chariot to face the true, monstrous threat that had ambushed them: the demonic army of Krodhakala.
The intense glare of the artificial sun, still blazing in the sky, cast stark shadows across the battlefield, highlighting the monstrous forms of the Rakshasas and Asuras.
"Prabhu," Bahubali stated, his voice now calm but charged with cold determination. "The first task is complete. Now, to the source of the rot. Please drive the chariot towards the heart of the Rakshasa army."
Lord Krishna responded instantly. With a gentle flick of the reins, the chariot pivoted, leaving the field of human war and plunging into the terrifying, chaotic realm of the demonic horde.
The sight of the King of Magadha and the Lord of Dwaraka charging directly into their ranks sent a wave of surprise, then savage anticipation, through the Rakshasa host.
As Bahubali's chariot cut a swathe through the chaos, he saw the formidable defense being mounted by his allies. The army had successfully bifurcated, and the second human force—led by the Kuru elders and the Pandava brothers—was holding the line against the initial demonic onslaught.
In the thickest knot of combat, Bahubali's eyes found Mahamahim Bhishma. The Grand Sire, his white armor stained crimson, was fighting with the ferocious, protective fury of a lion defending its young. He was locked in a direct, dizzying duel with Krodhakala himself.
The Rakshasa commander, immense and terrifying, wielded a spiked mace that crashed down with the force of a landslide. Bhishma countered every blow with his spear and arrows, his mastery and power over different weapons proving an impassable barrier to the giant Rakshasa.
Bahubali knew he couldn't intervene without disrupting the delicate balance of their fight. Bhishma was holding the command in check, allowing the rest of the defense to stabilize. He pressed on.
"Our goal remains the same, Prabhu," Bahubali shouted over the din. "We must relieve the pressure. We hit their commanders hard, break their will, and give our soldiers a fighting chance!"
Karna and Arjuna, having rejoined their respective forces, were right beside him, two blazing pillars of light against the surrounding darkness. Rudra, too, fought with a relentless ferocity, striking down any demonic warrior who dared approach the flanks of his father's chariot.
In another sector, the massive form of Ghatotkacha, son of Bhima, was a beacon of terror for the Rakshasa army. The half-demon warrior used his own Rakshasa strength and illusions against Krodhakala's minions, crushing Asuras beneath his club and tossing them like pebbles.
The goal was unified: the systematic elimination of the Rakshasa command structure.
Bahubali, fueled by the cold resolve he had found earlier, became a relentless engine of destruction. He aimed Ajaya Bow with a terrible precision, targeting the Rakshasa captains and standard-bearers.
His arrows, backed by the strength of poweful bow, struck with such power that they often shattered bones and armor, piercing even the demonic skins that deflected normal weapons. He invoked the Aindvastra, sending forth a multitude of arrows that exploded across the Rakshasa front line. Demonic warriors were flung back, their bodies reduced to smoke.
The enemy soldiers, though fierce, began to show genuine signs of terror. They were accustomed to humans fighting defensively and retreating in fear. But this King and his allies fought with a furious, righteous offensive that demanded their blood. They were being hunted.
Cutting deep into the enemy ranks, Bahubali encountered a chilling sight: Lobhasura, one of Krodhakala's most trusted commanders. Lobhasura was a grotesque figure of gluttony and malice, his skin a mottled green, his mouth wide and filled with rows of razor teeth. He commanded a huge formation of Asura foot soldiers, his very presence radiating greed and depravity.
Lobhasura roared, recognizing the Magadha King who had been carving a path toward him. "The little human king who killed our Kindhasura! I shall feast on your courage!" He charged, not with weapons, but with a massive, grotesque shield and a spiked battle-axe.
Bahubali did not hesitate. "Lobhasura! You consume the lives of the innocent! Tonight, your lobha ends!"
Lobhasura cast a powerful Mohastra (Weapon of Delusion), attempting to cloud Bahubali's senses with visions of immense wealth and power—the very greed he personified.
But Bahubali's mind, disciplined by Dharma and focused by Krishna's calming presence, remained impervious. Krishna simply chuckled. "Bahu's heart is dedicated to his people, he is immune to the lure of lobha. Bahu, Strike true!"
Bahubali unleashed a flurry of the Varunastra, summoning a continuous blast of cold, focused energy. The Rakshasa horde surrounding Lobhasura was enveloped by a freezing mist, their movements slowing drastically. The cold energy struck Lobhasura's battle-axe, coating it in a layer of brittle ice.
Lobhasura bellowed in pain and confusion, trying to smash through the cold energy. Bahubali pressed the attack. He targeted the seams of Lobhasura's heavy armor with three successive, powerful arrows from Ajaya Bow.
CRACK! The armor fractured.
Lobhasura, enraged, lunged forward with his shield, hoping to crush the chariot. Bahubali released a final, massive arrow charged with the Pashupatastra. The arrow struck Lobhasura directly in the chest, penetrating the shattered armor.
With a shriek that curdled the blood, Lobhasura was annihilated. His vast form crumbled into dust, and his Asura troops, witnessing the sudden demise of their powerful commander, broke formation and fled in terror.
Meanwhile, Karna, Rudra, and Arjuna were equally devastating, their mastery of archery a relentless hammer against the demonic commanders.
Karna focused his attack on a towering Rakshasa General named Nirhata, a master of dark elemental magic. Nirhata summoned waves of fire and shadow, but Karna countered with the Vayuvastra and the Suryastra.
Karna's chariot was a blur, his speed too great for the lumbering demon. He killed Nirhata with a flawless strike to the heart, causing a massive disruption in the enemy's flanking maneuver.
Arjuna, fighting alongside his brothers, took on the ruthless commander Chakshura, a Rakshasa general who led a formidable chariot division. Chakshura attempted to use deception and swift, dark weaponry, but Arjuna's skill was simply too perfect.
Arjuna utilized the Aindrastra with such precision that his arrows targeted the axles and wheels of the demonic chariots, crippling them one by one. Arjuna finally pinned Chakshura to his own chariot with a powerful Parvatastra (Mountain Weapon), which bound the demon with immense earth energy before dispatching him, leaving his division leaderless and confused.
With the three pillars—Bahubali, Karna, and Arjuna—tearing through the command structure, the pressure on the Dharma Alliance's main army began to visibly ease. Bhishma, Drona, and the others, though still fighting desperately against the sheer numbers, found their targeted strikes against the lesser demons becoming more effective as the enemy's coordination failed.
The night belonged to the relentless, unified fury of the human heroes.