As the sun unfolded its golden wings and swept away the shadows of night, Rostam donned his impervious cuirass of tiger-skin, mounted his majestic steed, and rode out to the battlefield clad in steel. On the opposing side, young Sohrab drank wine among his chieftains and confided in Houman. Touched by an inner instinct, Sohrab observed the mighty frame and majestic stature of the Iranian champion, noting how closely he mirrored the descriptions of his legendary father Rostam. He expressed his deep reluctance to fight a man who might be his own kin. However, the treacherous Houman, fearing a peaceful reunion that would ruin Turan's campaign, willfully deceived the youth, assuring him that this champion was merely an ordinary fighter whose steed only superficially resembled the true Rakhsh.
At dawn, Sohrab rode into the field holding his bull-headed mace, his heart brimming with a sudden, inexplicable affection. Smiling warmth, he hailed Rostam and proposed laying down their weapons. He urged that they sit together in brotherhood, exchange vows of peace, and leave the war to lesser men. But Rostam, hardened by decades of battle and suspecting a youth's cunning trickery, sternly rejected the peaceful offer, demanding that they honor their agreement from the previous evening and wrestle to the death.
Dismounting their warhorses and tethering them to rocks, the two titan warriors bound their waists and grappled. With ferocious power like a furious elephant, Sohrab seized Rostam, lifted him off his feet, and slammed him hard upon the dust. Like a lion pinning a wild ass, Sohrab knelt upon Rostam's chest and drew his gleaming dagger to sever his head. In that dire moment of mortal peril, Rostam used swift wits to save his life. He claimed that according to ancient Iranian warrior code, a champion never slays an opponent on the first throw; he must pin him a second time before taking his head. The honorable and naive Sohrab believed the legendary warrior, sheathed his blade, and released him to roam the plains.
When Houman learned that Sohrab had set free the trapped lion, he fiercely rebuked the youth for his tragic simplicity. Meanwhile, Rostam hastened to a clear stream, washed the dust and sweat from his face and body, and prayed fervently to the Almighty Creator for restored strength, unaware of the tragic fate the heavens held in store for them both.