Flame Breathing

**Shiranui Family**

**Flame Breathing** (炎の呼吸, *Honō no Kokyū*?) is one of the five main Breathing Styles directly derived from Sun Breathing.

## Overview

Flame Breathing is a Breathing Style that mimics flames and replicates it with the user's movements, techniques and abilities. Most, if not all, known techniques and forms involve extremely powerful singular strikes which causes friction from the blade on the opponent's skin that seemingly 'burns' the opponent, with most attacks being initiated from a high stance. Users of Flame Breathing also visualize themselves seemingly creating and manipulating fire when unleashing its techniques.

This Breathing Style was created by Enjuro Rengoku, one of Yoriichi Tsugikuni's students, and who was the head of the Rengoku family at the time, who attempted to learn Sun Breathing from Yoriichi. However, Homujuro was unable to master it, so Yoriichi taught him a modified style that focused on the strength of his swings. Homujuro named this breathing style after fire and flames. Thus, Flame Breathing was born.

From then onwards, the Breathing Style has been passed down for generations and the Flame Hashira position was always fulfilled by someone from their lineage. Kyojuro Rengoku carried the tradition forward in the footsteps of his father and former Flame Hashira, Shinjuro Rengoku. However, after Kyojuro's death, Rengoku family's long-standing tradition of passing down the Flame Breathing technique has come to an end.

After the death of Muzan Kibutsuji, Flame Breathing, like Sun Breathing and the other Breathing Styles, became a ritual dance known as the **Hononokami Kagura** (炎の神 神楽, *Honōnokami Kagura*?, lit. "Dance of the Flame God") offered to Kagutsuchi (カグツチ, *Kagutsuchi*?), the Shinto god of fire. This dance is also practised by the Rengoku family.

## Weaponry used with this Breathing Style

Most known users of the Flame Breathing have wielded Nichirin swords whose blade is red in color.

## Known Users

* Flame Breathing Users
* Honōnokami Kagura Users

## Techniques

Flame Breathing has 9 techniques in total. Among these, the Ninth Form: Rengoku is an "Esoteric Art" exclusive to the Rengoku Family. Later on, a 10th and 11th form of Flame Breathing were added.

* **First Form: Unknowing Fire** (壱ノ型: 不知火, *Ichi no kata: Shiranui*?) - The user dashes towards the target at tremendous speeds, before unleashing a singular horizontal slash directed at the targets neck for a decapitation.
* **Second Form: Rising Scorching Sun** (弐ノ型: 昇り炎天, *Ni no kata: Nobori En Ten*?) - The user unleashes an arcing vertical slash in an upwards motion, often brought up from a tail guard.
* **Third Form: Blazing Universe** (参ノ型: 氣炎万象, *San no kata: Kien Banshō*?) - The user performs an arcing downwards vertical slash, often brought down from a high guard.
* **Fourth Form: Blooming Flame Undulation** (肆ノ型: 盛炎のうねり, *Shi no kata: Sei En no Uneri*?) - The user performs a singular slash or multiple if needed, in a fluid circular motion to defend from incoming attacks and decapitate multiple targets.
* **Fifth Form: Flame Tiger** (伍ノ型: 炎虎, *Go no kata: Enko*?) - The user dashes forth, bringing their blade downwards into a high guard before performing a series of sword slashes which take the form of a flaming tiger enveloping the user.
* **Sixth Form: Ring of Fire** (陸ノ型: 炎の輪, *Roku no kata: Honō no Wa*?) - The user swings their sword in a horizontal, circular manner that seems to expand outwards ever so slightly.
* **Seventh Form: Raging Flames** (漆ノ型: 荒れ狂う炎, *Shichi no kata: Arekuruu Honō*?) - The user dashes forwards and unleashes a series of fast, powerful slashes to attack the opponent, often brought from both a high guard and tail guard.
* **Eighth Form: Flames of Glory** (捌ノ型: 栄光の炎, *Hachi no kata: Eikō no Honō*?) - The user unleashes a combination of slashes from a high guard that aim for the opponent's weak points (heart, brain, arms, legs, etc.) and aim to disable them before slashing the neck of the opponent.
* **Ninth Form: Rengoku** (玖ノ型: 煉獄, *Ku no kata: Rengoku*?, lit. "Ninth Form: Purgatory) - The most powerful Flame Breathing technique. The user assumes a high stance before performing an extremely high-speed dash towards the target and unleashing a singular, devastating slash. The technique is powerful enough to completely carve out the ground in its wake. The technique also seemingly takes the form of a flaming Japanese dragon that envelopes the user as they are charging towards the target.
* **Tenth Form: Sky Piercing Fire** (拾ノ型: 空突き刺す火, *Jū no kata: Sora Tukisasu Hi'*?) - The user unleashes a singular thrust attack with their sword so strong and fast that if it were thrust upwards, the attack's shockwave can reach the sky.
* **Eleventh Form: Underworld Eruption** (拾壱ノ型: 黄泉噴火, *Jū Ichi no kata: Yomifunka*?) - The user swings their sword in all directions 6 to 10 times at rapid speed, with the attacks strong enough and capable of causing cracks in the surrounding terrain where the user and the target stand.

## Trivia

* It is implied that the reason Flame Breathing (炎の呼吸, *Honō no Kokyū*?) should never be referred to as Fire Breathing (火の呼吸, *Hi no Kokyū*) is because its pronunciation is exactly the same as Sun Breathing (日の呼吸, *Hi no Kokyū*?).
* It is implied that Ninth Form: Rengoku (玖ノ型: 煉獄, *Ku no kata: Rengoku*?, lit. "Ninth Form: Purgatory") can only be performed by members of the Rengoku family since it was referred to as an "Esoteric Art" by Kyojuro Rengoku.
* Third Form: Blazing Universe (参ノ型: 氣炎万象, *San no kata: Kien Banshō*?) is an anime-original form, as it was never mentioned nor shown in the manga.