WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Season 1, Episode 21 of Fire Force, "Those Connected."
Fire Force has consistently delivered blistering battles over its first season run. Most of the participants in these confrontations have come from the ranks of the Special Fire Force, like the 1st's Captain Burns, the 7th's Captain Benimaru and, our main hot-headed hero, Shinra. So far, only the lightning-fast duel between the mysterious vigilante, Joker and Shinra's estranged brother, Shō, who commands the villainous Evangelist's Knights of Ashen Flame, has come close to demonstrating the height of pyrokinetic power, though.
But the brief exchange of blows we witnessed between the pair outside of Vulcan's workshop a few episodes back is nothing compared to what we see in Episode 21. As Shinra and Shō face each other for a second time, Shō proves just how advanced his skill are compared to his older brother's (yet again) by showing off a ridiculously powerful ability: slowing down time.
The confrontation happens in the Nether, which are the abandoned subway tunnels underneath the Tokyo Empire -- now considered a portal to Hell, according to the Holy Sol Temple. Shinra's Adolla Link starts buzzing, which tends to act as a proximity alert for Shō's presence. After a series of strange, hallucinatory visions, Shinra sees devil's footprints leading away from him; showing him the way ahead. With Licht, Company 8's new engineer, in tow, he continues on to a large, cathedral-like chamber where his snow-haired brother is waiting for him, sword in hand.
One disparaging comment about their mother spurs Shinra to showcase his new speed. He dashes right up to Shō so fast he's undetectable to the naked eye. Shō is equally fast to respond, and soon a helpless Licht can only stand and watch as their footprints whirl around him, leaving scorch marks on the tiles. Seizing a chance to play on his brother's hero complex, Shō aims his weapon at the dazed scientist but Shira manages to knock it off-course so that it just pins Licht's jacket to a pillar.
After this first round, Shō unsheathes his sword, indicating he's about to get serious. This is when his inexplicable time-slowing power comes into play. Shinra moves to avoid Shō's attack, only to appear frozen for a split-second and then be sent flying back into another pillar. He slides down it, choking on his own blood. Licht is flabbergasted, demanding to know how pyrokinesis can be capable of space-time manipulation which is an extremely valid question.
Shō's response doesn't give any concrete answers, but his taunt to Shinra that they're in "different universes," with Shō being in one that only he can control, is enough to help Licht come up with a theory: Shō is "engaging enough heat to expand the universe." We see the steam rising from the Knight's body after each use of this ability, confirming he's indeed using his pyrokinesis. This ludicrous power-up means that, no matter how much faster Shinra becomes, he'll never be able to outpace someone who slow him back down at will, even for just for a second or two.
Despite having previously told Shinra he'd never reveal his secrets to him, the episode ends with Shō transporting his beaten-up brother via their Adolla Link to the dark, hallucinatory plane Shinra's visions came from, promising that it's better for him to show rather than tell. Once again, it appears Shinra is completely unprepared and outclassed.
New episodes of Fire Force are released every Friday on Crunchyroll; every Saturday as part of Adult Swim's Toonami block and are available as SimulDubs from FunimationNow.