But then the flames merged.
WHOOM!!!
All five fireballs compressed into one large blazing sphere. The temperature spiked instantly. The air warped. Metal cages groaned under the heat.
Jordan stumbled back, shielding his face. "What rank of flame is that?"
Bruce did not panic. He simply watched Ash, who remained perfectly calm as the fireball floated beside him like a pet.
It did not lash out. It did not explode. It simply burned, tamed yet terrifying.
Bruce exhaled slowly.
Then he looked at Jordan.
"Get the grill," he said calmly, as if nothing strange was happening at all. "Looks like I will not need to make a fire."
Jordan stared at him like he was insane but obeyed.
Bruce knew what he had seen. Controlling fire like that without a chant or visible mana flow meant terrifying affinity and absolute control. Even powerful fire-class users would struggle to do what Ash just did.
But Bruce could tell something else too.
