As Prince Esfandiyar descended the rugged height and beheld the face of his father, he bowed to the earth in deep reverence. King Goshtasp, brokenhearted with remorse, sprang to his feet, embraced his valiant son, kissed him, and wiped the tears from his eyes. Giving praise to Almighty God for beholding Esfandiyar alive and radiant, the King urged his son to cast away all bitterness from his heart, blaming the evil-minded slanderer Gorazm for poisoning his mind. Goshtasp solemnly vowed before the Creator that once this dark war was brought to victory, he would abdicate the throne, commit the crown and realm to Esfandiyar, and spend his remaining days in divine worship. Esfandiyar answered with noble dignity, declaring that the monarch's contentment was his true crown, recalling how he had wept even over Gorazm's corpse out of sorrow for his father's grief.
When news spread that Esfandiyar was unbound and his ill fortune had ended, the chieftains and champions of Iran gathered in throngs upon the ridge, laying their faces to the dust before him. Esfandiyar summoned them to draw their venom-steeped blades and strike down the invaders. All through the night, the army polished armor and sharpened swords. Meanwhile, when word reached King Arjasp of Turan that the invincible prince had broken his fetters, terror seized his heart. Knowing that no warrior in Turan could withstand Esfandiyar, Arjasp ordered all the plundered treasures of Balkh loaded onto dromedaries and sent ahead under the command of his son Kahram, intending to flee under cover of night.
Yet a bold Turanian champion named Gorgsar stepped forward, reproaching Arjasp for his ignominious retreat. Gorgsar pledged to face Esfandiyar in single combat and hurl his body to the dust. Heartened, Arjasp promised that if Gorgsar prevailed, he would grant him reign over all Iran unto the sea of Chin. At sunrise, as the golden shield of the sun scattered the gloom of night, the armies arrayed themselves. Esfandiyar, wielding his ox-headed mace, charged the enemy lines like a raging elephant. Seeking vengeance for his fallen brother Farshidvard and thirty-eight royal kinsmen slain at Balkh, he shattered the Turanian flanks, slaying hundreds of renowned warriors and driving Kahram into retreat.
Gorgsar rushed forward with a royal bow, loosing a steel-tipped arrow into Esfandiyar's chest. Esfandiyar feigned a mortal wound, hanging limply from his saddle to entice his foe close. As Gorgsar drew his diamond sword to sever his head, Esfandiyar unleashed his knotted lasso, snaring Gorgsar by the neck, hurling him trembling to the earth, and binding his hands behind his back like stone. Dragging the captive champion through dust and blood, Esfandiyar sent him bound to the royal pavilions with orders to spare his life for future use.
Beholding Gorgsar's capture and the fall of the wolf-standard, Arjasp abandoned his army and fled toward Khallukh on swift camels. Esfandiyar ordered a relentless assault, turning the field into a sea of blood until the leaderless Turanians cast down their weapons and begged for mercy. Demonstrating royal magnanimity, Esfandiyar halted the slaughter and granted them quarter. For seven days, Goshtasp and Esfandiyar wore mourners' garments and gave thanks to Yazdan. On the eighth day, Gorgsar was brought forth in chains, trembling for his life; he begged for clemency, offering to serve as Esfandiyar's faithful guide through the perilous paths to the impregnable Brazen Fortress (Ruin-Dej).