Adolin arrives in Azimir through the Oathgate with officers from the Cobalt Guard and immediately receives a warning from the Oathgate spren that their stewardship is ending and they may stop helping humans when new allies arrive. With the enemy still some distance away, Adolin studies the Oathgate dome as a battlefield. He notes its central control building, the archer balcony, and the hanging sacks of oil, then realizes the dome is dangerous because if the singers seize it, they will gain a fortified staging point inside the city.

As Adolin examines the space, Maya speaks to him more strongly than before, showing that their bond has deepened since their visit to Urithiru. Together they think through the tactical problem. Adolin concludes that a passive defense would fail: if human troops cluster too tightly around the control building, the singers’ greater strength, aggression, and the likely arrival of Fused and Regals would let them punch through. He also decides the oil above is only a last resort, because burning the dome might kill one wave of attackers but would leave the position unusable for human defenders and easier for the enemy to exploit afterward.

Adolin continues the inspection with Colot, who first favors relying on the dome’s fortified exits and archer support. Adolin counters that this plan assumes ordinary infantry pressure and ignores enemy advantages such as flying Fused, specialized Regals, or Shardblades creating new routes. Because of that, Adolin decides the defenders must contest the interior on the ground and force the singers to pay for every foot of space until reinforcements arrive. Even so, Adolin refuses Colot’s suggestion that he simply take command, because he does not want Alethi aid to become Azish subjugation.

Outside, Adolin studies the Azish defenders and their disciplined organization. He meets Commandant Supreme Kushkam, who speaks bluntly and makes clear that he distrusts Alethi motives. Kushkam accepts Adolin’s two thousand troops because he needs them, but he questions whether Alethi soldiers have real stakes in defending Azimir and warns Adolin not to expect obedience. The exchange makes the political danger clear: even if the battle plan is sound, the defense could fail if the two armies do not cooperate.

While waiting for Emperor Yanagawn’s procession to arrive, Adolin rides the perimeter and takes in the city he must protect. The sight of civilians and a threatened capital brings back painful memories of Kholinar, especially the moment when Adolin escaped through the Oathgate and left wounded soldiers behind. He recognizes that part of his drive here is a desire for redemption. Remembering his mother’s advice to fight for something worthy, Adolin resolves that this time he will defend the city for the people in it, and he commits himself to protecting Azimir whatever it takes.