Rlain and Dabbid attempt to carry water toward the basement, hoping to reach the human queen. A singer guard recognizes Rlain as the listener freed from prison and challenges his errand. Refusing to resist or fight, Rlain allows himself to be taken to a superior for confirmation, while a trembling Dabbid follows, their progress halted.

In the atrium, amid a clearing highstorm and a captivated crowd, Kaladin duels the Pursuer. Using Navani’s device to yank himself out of reach, Kaladin repeatedly seizes the Fused at rematerialization, bleeding away his reserves. The Pursuer panics, ejects again, and reappears in a fourth, final body—the vulnerable state—while Kaladin projects fearless control before soldiers, Fused, and civilians.

Venli forces her way past a blockade by invoking her authority as Raboniel’s Voice and observes the duel alongside Leshwi. Leshwi notes the Pursuer has exhausted his husks and should flee, yet the onlooking masses witness Kaladin’s dominance. Venli feels a growing desire to help the humans and focuses on aiding Rlain and Lirin’s family, recognizing the duel is beyond her intervention.

Elsewhere, Teft evades Moash through the infirmary, buying time as Lift crawls, injured. Moash casually kills an unconscious Radiant and moves toward Lift. Teft engages to draw Moash away, suffering broken ribs. With desperate harmony between man and spren, Teft briefly manifests a phantom spear shaft that halts Moash’s Shardblade, forcing the assassin back in surprise.

Moash rejects Teft’s surrender and instead attacks Phendorana, driving a strange dagger into the spren’s forehead. Phendorana screams, flares, and vanishes, ripping the bond from Teft and leaving him hollowed by loss. After taunting Teft’s loyalty to Kaladin, Moash drives his Shardblade through Teft’s neck. Teft dies confident and full of hope, while Lift remains helpless.