Chapter 50

Adolin prepares for battle at a domed structure, donning his Shardplate and coordinating defensive positions with his commanders. As scouts report enemy movements and Voidspren begin reconnaissance, the initial attack commences with a flash of light around the central control building.

Adolin equips his Shardplate with the help of armorers, reconnecting with his Radiant spren Maya, who can perceive both the Physical Realm and Shadesmar. He meets with veteran soldiers Gerenor, Isalor, and Kappak, assigning them command of battalions. May Aladar reports on medical preparations, including a secret saferoom beneath the east-side hospital to shelter the emperor. Adolin promotes May to command twenty archers and appoints her aide Kaminah to a battlefield role, requesting engineer Gitora verify the archers' balcony can support his weight. He orders defensive formations: three companies from each battalion stationed outside ready to form pike walls, and a Shardbearer support squad to protect his rear. Maya reports the arrival of enemy forces—approximately one hundred stormforms and direforms with Heavenly Ones (Fused) commanding them. From the balcony overlooking the dome, Adolin observes Kushkam's Azish forces tightly positioned around the central control building with a Soulcaster preparing bronze obstacles. Voidspren scout the battlefield, forcing Adolin to warn Kushkam that the enemy now knows their exact positions, though Kushkam ignores the suggestion to spread his forces wider. As tension mounts, Adolin wrestles with his aversion to battle despite his skill with a blade, reflecting on how the chaos of warfare contradicts his training in dueling. The initial attack begins with a third flash of light.