Hearing the words of the Goddess, as spoken by Śarva, the mighty asuras—enemies of the gods—were seized by furious rage and marched to the place where Kātyāyanī stood radiant and unshaken. Without hesitation, these wrathful foes unleashed a storm of arrows, spears, and javelins upon the Goddess, their weapons darkening the sky. Yet, with effortless grace, Kātyāyanī shattered their missiles with powerful arrows from her drawn bow, each strike a display of divine skill. In the forefront, fierce Kālī moved swiftly, laying waste to the asuras—some were pierced and torn apart by her spear, others battered down by her skull-topped staff. Wherever Brahmāṇī pursued the enemies, she sprinkled water from her sacred pot, sapping their strength and vigor, leaving them feeble and defenseless. Māheśvarī struck down demons with her trident, Vaiṣṇavī’s discus spun through the battlefield, and Kaumārī, burning with fury, drove her spear deep into their ranks. Aindrī’s thunderbolt sent hundreds of demons and Dānavas crashing to the earth, torn asunder and pouring streams of blood. The boar-formed Goddess, Vārāhī, shattered some with her snout and wounded others with her sharp fangs, while her discus carved through the enemy. Nārasiṃhī, her roar echoing in all directions, tore apart great demons with her claws and devoured them on the field of war. The terrifying laughter of Caṇḍikā and the threats of Śivadūtī struck terror into the hearts of the asuras; many fell to the ground, only to be devoured by Śivadūtī herself. Witnessing the host of enraged Mothers crushing the great demons, the armies of the asuras perished in myriad ways. Amidst this chaos, Raktabīja, the formidable demon, saw his kin fleeing, tormented by the onslaught of the Mothers. Enraged, he advanced to fight. But Raktabīja possessed a dreadful boon: whenever a drop of his blood touched the earth, from that very spot arose another demon, equal in form and might to himself. Wielding his mace, Raktabīja fought Indrāṇī, who struck him with her thunderbolt. Blood gushed from his wounds, and from every drop, warriors sprang forth, matching Raktabīja in strength, power, and courage. As the battle raged, countless such demons were born from his blood, and they joined the fight against the Mothers, making the encounter ever more terrible as fierce weapons clashed. Whenever his head was struck by the thunderbolt, rivers of blood flowed, and thousands more arose. Vaiṣṇavī struck him with her discus, Aindrī battered him with her mace, and from the blood that poured forth, the world was filled with demons, each as formidable as Raktabīja. Kumāri pierced him with her spear, Vārāhī slashed with her sword, and Māheśvarī drove her trident into him. Yet, possessed by wrath, Raktabīja struck at the Mothers with his mace. Every blow that drew blood from him brought forth a legion of new asuras, until the world was teeming with these blood-born demons. The gods themselves were seized with terror, seeing the endless tide of foes. Observing the gods’ distress, Caṇḍikā swiftly addressed Kali: "O Chamunda, open your mouth wide! With this swift mouth, devour the great demons born from the blood that falls from my weapons and from Raktabīja himself. Consume them in battle, so that when his blood is exhausted, he will perish and those fierce ones you devour will not rise again." With these words, the Goddess struck Raktabīja with her spear, and Kali rushed to catch his blood in her mouth. Even when Raktabīja struck Caṇḍikā with his mace, she felt not the slightest pain. As blood poured from his wounds, Camunda caught every drop before it could touch the earth, drinking it eagerly. Any asura that did manage to spring from the blood was instantly devoured by her. Now, with Camunda drinking his blood and the Goddess striking him with trident, discus, arrows, swords, and spears, Raktabīja found no respite. At last, battered by countless weapons and his blood exhausted, the asura fell to the earth, his power ended. Seeing Raktabīja slain, the gods rejoiced with incomparable delight. The Mothers, intoxicated by the blood of battle, began to dance in celebration. "O venerable one," said the inquirer, "you have narrated to me the wondrous deeds of the Goddess, especially the slaying of Raktabīja. But tell me, what did Śumbha and the enraged Niśumbha do after Raktabīja was destroyed?" When Raktabīja fell, Śumbha and Niśumbha, along with the other surviving asuras, were consumed by boundless wrath. Seeing his great army laid low, Niśumbha, burning with indignation, charged forward with his chief forces. Mighty demons, their anger evident as they bit their lips, surrounded the Goddess from all sides, determined to destroy her. Śumbha himself, of great valor, advanced with his own army, intent on slaying Caṇḍikā in his rage. Thus, the battle was joined once more, the Mothers standing firm against the wrathful asuras.