Love Breathing

The **Love Breathing** *(Koi no Kokyu)* is a Breathing Style derived from the Flame Breathing.

## **Overview:**

Love Breathing is a Breathing Style that is based on the emotion of love, and replicates it with the user's movements, techniques and abilities. Most, if not all, known techniques inculcate a gymnastic and movement-oriented rhythm into the user's attacks, making use of their superhuman flexibility, dexterity, and agility to perform wide, winding and weaving slashes that have mid-to-long range applications.

The Love Breathing's aura leaves behind large pink cuts that follow along the blade, and can be used both by a regular Katana and a Whip-Sword, albeit the latter example is only used by Mitsuri Kanroji. Users will find their nichirin items turning dark pink in color.

## **Known Techniques:**

The Love Breathing has a total of six techniques, both for the Sword-Whip wielded solely by Mitsuri Kanroji, and for the regular Katana.

### **Sword-Whip:**

* **First Form: Shivers of First Love** *(Ichi no Kata: Hatsukoi no Wananaki)* - The user dashes forward with a series of extended whip slashes that winds around and through the target.

* **Second Form: Love Pangs** *(Ni no Kata: Ono Meguru Koi)* - The user unleashes multiple powerful whip slashes around themselves.

* **Third Form: Catlove Shower** *(San no Kata: Koi Neko Shigure)* - The user leaps and unleashes a series of ranged arced attacks in quick succession.

* **Fourth Form: Heat of Love** *(Shi no Kata: Ai no Netsu)* - The user will ready a dash, using the whip-like sword to slash all around them

* **Fifth Form: Swaying Love, Wildclaw** *(Go no Kata: Yurameku Renjo Midarezume)* - The user somersaults backwards through the air creating a long whip-like string of attacks.

* **Sixth Form: Cat-Legged Winds of Love** *(Roku no Kata: Neko Ashi Koi Kaze)* - The user twirls upside-down and creates multiple extending slashing attacks before retracting it and extending it again, all within a concise amount of time.

### **Katana:**

* **First Form: Shivers of First Love** *(Ichi no Kata: Hatsukoi no Wananaki)* - The user dashes forward, slashing directly in front of themselves in winding, but continuous attacks

* **Second Form: Love Pangs** *(Ni no Kata: Ono Meguru Koi)* - The user slashes all around themselves in a close range attack to defend themselves from any incoming projectiles or blows

* **Third Form: Catlove Shower** *(San no Kata: Koi Neko Shigure)* - The user backflips, unleashing a single concentrated slash against the opponent

* **Fourth Form: Heat of Love** *(Shi no Kata: Ai no Netsu)* - The user dashes while attacking all around themselves with a single, winding slash

* **Fifth Form: Swaying Love, Wildclaw** *(Go no Kata: Yurameku Renjo Midarezume)* - The user backflips, now unloading countless slashes against the opponent. This move has increased power, but less accuracy

* **Sixth Form: Cat-Legged Winds of Love** *(Roku no Kata: Neko Ashi Koi Kaze)* - The user jabs against the opponent with continuous, winding attacks that carry a lot of strength, but low versatility

## **Trivia:**

* The Katana Forms of the Love Breathing are technically canon, as Mitsuri developed the Love Breathing before obtaining the Sword-Whip, as seen in Rengoku's Gaiden.