As the fierce battle raged, a wave of terror swept through the ranks of the gods. All the other deities, along with Nandīśvara and his companions, turned and fled from the battlefield. Even the mountains, serpents, rocks, and trees themselves seemed to withdraw, overwhelmed by the intensity of the conflict. In the midst of this chaos, the son of Shiva—Karttikeya—became shrouded beneath a relentless hail of arrows unleashed by the king, just as the radiant sun vanishes behind a dense raincloud. The king’s might was terrible to behold: he cleaved through the heavy and formidable bow of Skanda, and with a divine weapon, he struck the peacock mount, leaving its feathers scattered and torn. For a moment, Karttikeya fell unconscious from the onslaught. Yet, regaining his senses, he rose with renewed vigor. Meanwhile, Agnibhū, mounted upon a chariot adorned with the finest jewels, advanced into the fray. He hurled serpents, mountains, trees, and rocks as weapons, each one crashing upon the field. But Guha, another name for Karttikeya, countered the king’s fire-missile with a missile of Varuna, quenching the flames with water’s power. Amidst this clash, the king, his charioteer, his radiant jeweled crown, and his vehicle were all caught in the turmoil; the king himself fell unconscious, only to soon recover. Now, the foremost of magicians conjured a dense network of arrows through his mastery of illusion, weaving a deadly web across the sky. Seizing an unfailing spear that shone with the brilliance of a hundred suns, he hurled it in anger at Karttikeya. Struck by this mighty weapon, Karttikeya once more fell unconscious. Yet Shiva, with but a glance, revived his beloved son with ease. Immediately, Shiva roused his own army and called the gods to action. Indra himself joined the battle alongside Vrishaparvan, while the moon and Dambha engaged in a mighty duel. On other fronts, Kubera fought against Kalakeya, Vishvakarma against Maya, and Varuṇa faced the restless Kalavingka and Samīraṇa. Jayanta contended with the essence of jewels, the Vasus with radiant hosts, Dharma with Dhanurdhara, and Maṅgala with Maṇḍūkākṣa. Viśva met Palāśa in combat, and the Ādityas fought with supreme valor. Even Mahāmārī entered the fray, wielding fierce weapons. Thus, in that great and terrifying dissolution, all the armies fought constantly, their battle unceasing and dreadful to behold. Amidst this tumult, Śaṃkhacūḍa remained on the field, adorned with brilliant jewel ornaments. His radiance increased the strength of his own forces, and in his fury, he slew a hundred divisions of Akṣauhiṇīs—vast hosts of warriors. In her wrath, the goddess drank the blood of the Dānavas, consuming a hundred kharparas. But the gods, wounded and fearful, again fled the field, while Skanda’s relentless arrows wounded and scattered the Dānavas. Among the demon leaders were Vṛṣaparvā, Vipracitti, Dambha, and Vikaṅkana. At this critical moment, Kālī herself entered the battle, and Shiva stood guard over Karttikeya. The gods, Gandharvas, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, and Kinnaras all assembled as she strode onto the battlefield, releasing a mighty lion’s roar. She laughed with a dreadful, wild sound, her fierce fangs bared and her rage terrifying to behold. Kauttari, one of her forms, drank the honey of battle with savage delight. Seeing Kālī’s awesome presence, Śaṃkhacūḍa swiftly entered the fray once more, ready to meet her challenge.