Empire of India: Rise of the Ruthless Prince

Hampi, Vijayanagara Empire.

The ambush on the backline of Bhairava's army was massively successful for the First Prince.

Half the cannons were made unable to use by his ambush unit. The drizzle of rain quickly changed into heavy rain. The cannons hissed in the air due to the heat. The remaining crew scrambled to cover the cannons.

So many members of the cannon crew were either killed or injured. The special unit sprung right into damage control, killing some of the retreating soldiers.

The rain started to intensify; the ground was turning into a marshy mess. Soldiers were still fighting amidst this chaos. Bhairava tried his best to reel the situation into control.

He was now at a disadvantage because of the mounting pressure from the enemies. They took on the offensive charge quickly, anticipating the shift in momentum. The commanders of the first prince began charging right into the ranks of the infantry to dwindle their numbers.

"Soldiers assume defensive positions!." screamed Bhairava.

The commanders of his army tried their best to order their units to assume the defensive positions. The lack of cannons and the offensive onslaught demoralized the soldiers a lot.

"Damn it!!" Bhairava muttered.

He had to hold out for some more time. More breakthroughs would be detrimental. He had to take on an offensive position now.

He looked back at the unit he was leading. It was now or never.

"Soldiers, prepare to charge."

Bhairava led them through the chaos. He began to fight like a madman.

He began to slice apart the infantry with precision, leading a midsized unit into the chaotic mess.

Foe after foe fell to the mighty blade of Bhairava. The fearless determination was evident in Bhairava's eyes.

His armor turned red, doused with the blood of his enemies. The unit mowed down the infantry like a sharp knife through the heavy rain. Small wounds appeared on his arms and face. This didn't deter him. The blood of his enemies mixing with the rain filled the battlefield.

The enemies froze in fear. The enemies trembled in terror. Swords clattered to the ground as they saw Bhairava approaching like the messenger of death.

Amidst his courageous charge, a soldier stabbed at his gut. The sword pierced his armor and lodged in his chainmail underneath.

Grabbing the sword, he sliced the neck of the enemy. There was no wasted movement as Bhairava struck down his foes.

Another enemy poked his pike into the gaps in Bhairava's armor. This time it found its way to the flesh, piercing the side.

He didn't winch at all, instead clenching his side to hold the spear in place and cut down the enemy soldier.

The enemies watched this in horror. The unit mowed its way into the enemy formation. This became a significant breakthrough.

"Soldiers! Fear not! As long as I live, we shall not be defeated!" Screamed Bhairava.

The declaration echoed through the battlefield. Allies and foes alike were frozen by Bhairava holding up the head of a senior commander. The man had shifted the momentum single-handedly.

This was the power of the second prince.

Bhairava's army soldiers saw the brave charge led by their leader. The morale rose high. The Prince wasn't a coward. He was risking as much as they were on the battlefield.

The disorganized and demoralized army of Bhairava quickly rose up. The renewed vigor and determination were evident in their eyes, as they had witnessed a dance of death in the enemy lines.

The battlefield laid witness to an undying army mowing down the first prince's army with no care for their lives.

The heavy rain slowly stopped. The blood on Bhairava's armor washed away. He began to retreat back to his army.

"Your Highness. We have to treat the wound quickly," said a soldier in his unit.

Bhairava clutched his wound to slow the bleeding till he gets back to his army to tend to it.

"I know. But we have more important things. I can't let my soldiers' deaths be in vain."

The dark clouds parted way to the orange glow of the sun cast on the battlefield. The day was nearing its end.

To his surprise, Madhav led an unannounced charge into the enemy lines. Using Bhairava's charge as a cover. He had ordered war elephants and cavalry to charge into the right flank of the enemy.

Madhav managed to take the head of a commander as well. The archers were providing cover fire as they slowly retreated after the charge. The complete shift of momentum in favor of Bhairava happened in a span of half an hour.

The sun started to set, and the night was falling. The third day of the battle ended with a blow of the battle horn from both sides. The battlefield was covered with fallen soldiers. Many soldiers gave support to their injured comrades and walked back to the camp.

Despite the momentum shifting at the end of the battle. The damages on Bhairava's side were significant. Half their cannon crew was slaughtered by the ambush. There was an insider in their army.

Half of the gunpowder supplies were set on fire. Most of the cannons became unusable, and the numbers on the side of the Bhairava were on the lower end. The recurring theme of Chandra striking down their strategies was frustrating Bhairava a lot.

In the end, he decided to consult Vikrama. He was unsure of the insider in his army. It was one of the commanders or his close partners. Vikrama, who had made the strategies, was also on his list of suspects.

'I can't trust anyone! Now.'

Doubts began to form in Bhairava's mind. First he tended to his wounds and then set out to meet Vikrama.

Vikrama noticed him approaching and came up to him quickly.

"What's the matter, Your Highness?"

"We need to have a chat!."

"Is it about the ambush today, Your Highness?" asked Vikrama in a low voice.

Bhairava nodded slightly.

"I have some thoughts on it." He paused for a moment, looking at the bodyguards of Bhairava. "Can we talk in private?"

Looking at Vikrama's serious expression. Bhairava quickly grasped the gravity of the situation. He dismissed the bodyguards and went to talk to him in private.