Piran Viseh, the grief-stricken realm-commander of Turan, advanced between the clashing hosts with a heart heavy with foreboding. Facing Rostam the son of Zal, he poured out his soul, lamenting the wrongful murder of the innocent Prince Siyavash. Piran attested to his own blamelessness, recounting how he had risked his life and estate to shield Farangis and the young Kay Khosrow from King Afrasiab’s bloody wrath. Seeking an honorable peace, he implored the legendary champion to spare the innocent. Rostam responded with dignified wisdom: peace remained attainable only if Turan surrendered the true perpetrators of Siyavash's execution, or if Piran bound his allegiance directly to King Kay Khosrow. Yet Piran knew that the noble houses of Turan and Afrasiab's inner circle would never assent to such terms.
Returning to the camp of the Khagan of China, Piran warned the grand coalition of Turanian and Eastern allies of Rostam’s invincible prowess, reminding them that no mortal warrior had ever survived the strike of Sam's mace or the thunderous charge of Rakhsh. However, Shangal, the King of Hind, stepped forward with reckless arrogance, scorning Piran’s caution and boasting that at dawn he would tear Rostam to pieces. Though seasoned Turanian commanders like Houman and Kolbad sensed impending doom in Shangal's reckless pride, the die of fate was cast. Meanwhile, Rostam assembled the Iranian chieftains—Goudarz, Tus, Giv, Bizhan, and Fariburz—reminding them that victory springs from Divine Grace alone, while Goudarz cautioned him against falling for Piran's diplomatic evasions. As the golden crown of the sun crested the horizon, war drums thundered, warhorns sounded, and both massive armies—replete with armored elephants, mounted archers, and glittering banners—drew up their formidable battle ranks across the darkened earth.