Chapter 181: Clash of Rivals Part-2
Rewari Kingdom, Pataudi Village, Mercenary Recruitment Camp, afternoon of April 4, 1557.
After following Ayush for a while, a sudden volley of shots erupted from the eastern flank. It was Kunal and his squad of eight men from the White Turban group, who were entrenched in a pre-dug trench 40 meters away. Their shots rang out, wax bullets striking with stinging force, causing several soldiers to cry out in pain and drop to the ground.
Five cadets from the Black Turban group were hit and forced to lie down. Two cadets from Sohan’s squad and three from Naman’s squad were down, adding to the mounting casualties.
"Take cover!" Nirbhay shouted, diving behind a thick tree. His platoon scrambled to find shelter, quickly returning fire from their concealed positions.
"Fire at will," Kunal grinned, nestled behind the trench, after their initial volley. Their position on lower ground gave them an advantage, as most of the return fire missed its mark. Capitalizing on this, they managed to take down two more cadets from Naman’s squad, raising the Black Turban group’s losses to eight.
However, as the Black Turbans spread out in a semi-circular formation, the pressure on Kunal’s squad increased. Hits to the turban were counted as confirmed strikes, and the rising casualties reflected the intensifying exchange. The cadets ducked behind cover, but the longer reload times gave their opponents the upper hand.
Kunal’s squad, determined to hold their ground, took turns firing from cover of trench. But with five of their own down, only three soldiers remained active.
Sensing an opening, Nirbhay led his Black Turban group forward. Just as it seemed Kunal’s White Turbans were about to be overwhelmed, Animesh’s squad appeared from the western flank, launching a fresh volley that struck from behind.
Four more cadets were hit;one from Sohan’s squad and three from Nakul’s squad in the Black Turban group. Nirbhay gritted his teeth, realizing they were now caught in a dangerous two-front situation.
His mind raced, piecing together the enemy’s strategy. They had been drawn into a position with limited cover, while their opponents held advantageous ground. Advancing or descending further could trap them, as additional enemy squads could be lying in wait on either side. Nirbhay knew he had to act quickly to break free.
"Akhil, charge and clear the eastern flank! The rest, form a wedge!" Nirbhay commanded. Akhil, with all eight members of his squad, launched a direct assault on Kunal’s remaining soldiers. Caught off-guard, Kunal managed to take one down before being struck himself. His remaining two men, were overwhelmed by Akhil’s charge, clearing the eastern side at the cost of only one cadet from Akhil’s group.
Meanwhile, Nirbhay reorganized the rest of his platoon into a wedge formation to face Animesh’s squad. With Nirbhay at the front, the V-shaped formation allowed the rear lines to maintain a clear line of sight while the soldiers behind them reloaded and prepared to fire. This tight formation proved effective: when they returned fire, three cadets from Animesh’s group were struck down before they could reload and fire a second volley.