Chapter 231

Shallan kills Iyatil by forcing her to use Stormlight while infected with anti-Stormlight, then faces off against Mraize, who retrieves a second anti-Stormlight knife and demands she join the Ghostbloods or face combat. Simultaneously, Adolin emerges from the throne room in Shardplate to aid Yanagawn's besieged forces, while Szeth unexpectedly completes the final Skybreaker oath despite his incomplete quest, and Ishar prepares to counter Kaladin with protective measures.

Shallan defeats Formless in combat using techniques learned from Adolin's training. She deduces that Iyatil is hiding within the Formless illusion and stabs her in the eye. When Iyatil instinctively draws Stormlight to heal the wound while anti-Stormlight from Shallan's blade is in her system, the two forces meet and incinerate her brain, killing her instantly. Mraize arrives moments later to find Iyatil dead. Shallan realizes the Ghostbloods discovered her Formless identity through a seon spren that had been present during her creation of the persona and her subsequent confessions to Adolin and Wit. She explains this deduction to Mraize, who retrieves a second anti-Stormlight knife from Iyatil's body while pretending to check on her. Bound by his honor to avenge his former master, Mraize demands Shallan either come with him to face Master Thaidakar or fight him. Shallan attempts to dissuade violence by Lightweaving a vision of Mraize as a free agent traveling other worlds—a dream he has expressed. Despite genuine longing visible in his expression, Mraize hardens and insists she must submit or be taken by force, revealing he fears her too much to truly let her join the Ghostbloods. In a parallel scene, Yanagawn and his vastly outnumbered forces wait for enemy soldiers to charge when the throne room doors explode outward. Adolin, wearing blue Shardplate glowing with orange light, emerges and crushes a fleeing creature's gemheart, then presents himself to Yanagawn, stating he has reclaimed the emperor's Shardblade. Elsewhere, Kaladin pursues Ishar to prevent his interference in the conflict. Szeth suddenly speaks the final Skybreaker oath—"I Am The Law"—releasing a blinding column of light, despite having an incomplete quest. Ishar, shielding himself from the light with a barrier of Stormlight and his own glowing eyes, dismisses Kaladin's concern and reveals he has prepared countermeasures against Dalinar's warnings from their last encounter, claiming he always learns from past mistakes.