WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Season 2, Episode 16 of Fire Force, "Mind Blown," now streaming on Crunchyroll.
Fire Force's three-way battle between the Special Fire Force, Evangelist's White-Clad and Haijima Industries for the Sixth Pillar goes radioactive as Haumea's manipulative pyrokinetic ability attacks the young Nataku's mind. To save the now rampaging Nataku, whose fused into Ritsu's Infernal, Shinra begrudgingly partners with the very groups he's rivaled against.
A series of concurrent fights flare up throughout Haijima's facility as each side in the race for the Sixth Pillar pulls out all the stops. Charon fends off most of the Company 8, barring Maki, who battles Arrow and Haumea alongside Haijima's caretaking puppeteer. Meanwhile, Kurono is initially more interested in targeting those he views as the weakest. Still, after a group of White-Clad grunts gets ahold of Nataku, he uses his black smoke to suffocate and burn them from the inside.
Ritsu Unleashes a Frightening Ability
With all sides initially playing a game of keep-away with Nataku, Ritsu tries giving the White-Clad a distinct advantage by unveiling her Necro Pyro ability, which gives her control over corpses and Infernals. After using an Infernal bug to turn a Haijima employee, she fuses them with the bodies of the White-Clad members Kurono killed. The resulting giant Infernal forms with Nataku suddenly being snagged and incorporated into its chest.
The worsening situation, plus a little push from Haijima's president, forces Kurono into proposing a cease-fire with Shinra to focus on saving Nataku. Unfortunately, things take another turn after Haumea uses her "Motor Head" ability, causing Nataku to lose control of his high pressured emotions. Sparking his already confused mind, Nataku's visions of Rekka become so pervasive that he feels suffocated by them. It's even visualized with a tiny Rekka inside Nataku's mouth as he loses control and unleashes his laser-like power.
Nataku's Infected Imagination
Still embedded in the massive Infernal, Nataku's abilities emit powerful radiation, making the area especially dangerous for non-pyrokinetics. While Vulcan works with Arthur, using his plasma-based Excaliber to power an EMP to counter Haumea, Charon saves Shinra from an explosive blast. The lethal White-Clad protector refuses to let anything happen to the pillars, including Shinra, and the two also opt to cooperate for Nataku's sake.
Arthur Lost in Fantasy
We've seen Arthur's skill skyrocket when he's deeply enveloped in his knightly fantasy, and this holds true with Vulcan's device as well, with its range depending on the Knight King's creative motivation. As Vulcan tries to spurn Arthur on, Haumea swings in like Spider-Man to interrupt them, but the puppeteer's Dominion intercepts her.
Nataku's Infected Imagination, a laser light show of explosive beams, indiscriminately blasts the entire area and the massive Infernal's intense durability serves as a suit of armor for the overwhelmed Sixth Pillar. With everyone's efforts temporarily aligned, it's going to take Shinra, Charon and Kurono firing on all cylinders to put an end to the destruction.
