After a long while, when Pazhuvetarayar regained a sliver of consciousness, he found himself in the midst of a terrifying battlefield. Swords clashed against each other, ringing out with a resounding metallic hum. On one side, victory drums thundered. Along with them, thousands of voices shouted, “Long live the Maha Rajadhiraja, the Pandya King! Down with the enemies of the Pandyas!”

On the other side, thousands of voices screamed, “The king of the Gangas has fallen! Run! Run!” Amidst these, there were also voices trying to halt the fleeing men.

Suddenly, for a moment, silence descended upon the battlefield. Pazhuvetarayar looked around. He saw the legless Vijayalaya Chozhar being carried on the shoulders of another tall, broad-shouldered man. The man who bore him on his shoulders held two enormous swords, one in each hand.

“Chozha warriors! Stand firm! Pallavas! Do not flee! Death awaits in the river, death awaits in the field! Follow me! We will scatter our enemies to the winds!” he shouted.

The Chozha and Pallava soldiers, who had begun to flee, stopped when they saw Vijayalaya Chozhar and heard his words. The exhaustion and fear vanished from their faces, replaced once more by courage and valor. Those who had retreated began to advance again. Pazhuvetarayar looked once more at Vijayalaya Chozhar, who was the cause of this miraculous transformation. He also looked at the warrior who carried him on his shoulders. Astonishing! Astonishing! He realized that the warrior bearing Vijayalaya Chozhar was none other than himself.

That Pazhuvetarayar, with one hand, held the legless Vijayalaya Chozhar on his shoulder, and with the other, brandished a long sword as he plunged into the midst of the enemy. Wherever the two of them went, the heads of Pandya warriors rolled onto the ground.

The tide of battle had completely turned. The Pandya army scattered and fled. The Chozhas and Pallavas emerged victorious. The victory drums resounded in all eight directions. Before the Pallava emperor, Vijayalaya Chozhar was seated! Beside him stood Pazhuvetarayar. The Pallava emperor looked at the Chozha king and said, “Bravest of the brave! Today, defeat has been turned into victory because of you! From now on, the Chozha land shall be a free land! You, your valiant son Aditya, and your descendants shall forever reign as independent kings of Chozha…” “You shall rule the land!” he declared. At once, Vijayalaya Chola turned to the Pazhuvettaraiyar standing near him and said, “Elder! It is only through you that this victory has been won for us. I appoint you as the Commander-in-Chief and the hereditary chieftain of the free Chola country. As long as your descendants remain loyal to the Chola dynasty, they too shall hold these titles of chieftain and commander!”

The face of Pazhuvettaraiyar, marked by wounds, blossomed with pride.

Suddenly, a fierce anger appeared on that face. The old Pazhuvettaraiyar looked at this new Pazhuvettaraiyar. “Oh wretch! Traitor! Outcaste! You are the very axe-handle come to destroy my lineage! For six generations we have gathered