Moon Breathing

The **Moon Breathing** *(Tsuki no Kokyu)* is a Breathing Style derived from the Sun Breathing, and oddly, it is theorized that it may actually be a parallel to it, rather than a true branch.

## **Overview:**

The Moon Breathing is a Breathing Style that mimics the moon, specifically the shape of traditional crescent moons, and replicates it with the user's movements, techniques and abilities. Most, if not all, known techniques and forms are standard yet varied swordsmanship techniques that focus on swift and powerful strikes which blends both offense and defense. Most sword slashes performed follow the shape and pattern of crescent moons.

The Moon Breathing's genesis comes from Michikatsu Tsugikuni, who attempted to mimic his younger brother Yoriichi Tsugikuni's Sun Breathing, but failed at that, forming the Style covered in this page. Long after Yoriichi's death, Michikatsu, now Kokushibo, continued to develop his techniques, reaching a total of sixteen Forms. Long after the Style was seemingly lost, as only Kokushibo himself knew it, and being a demon working under Muzan, it was believed to be impossible to truly recover it. However, Ryo Yorunoha displayed a natural talent and adeption at the Moon Breathing, and currently works to redevelop its nigh purest form.

The Moon Breathing's aura is notoriously different from others, seeing as the crescent-shaped aura that appears with the sword seemingly tears through space itself, revealing the cosmos on its area.

The Moon Breathing can be performed with a regular, or a longer Katana. Nichirin items of Moon Breathing users will turn bright white.

## **Known Techniques:**

The Moon Breathing, at its inception, had twelve techniques that Michikatsu developed as a human. They have been noted by Ryo Yorunoha to be designed to counter or stalemate with the Sun Breathing's twelve first forms. Upon becoming a demon, four more techniques were developed on top of the original twelve. Ryo Yorunoha then developed three more, adding up to a total of nineteen Forms:

* **First Form: Dark Moon, Evening Palace** *(Ichi no Kata: Yamidzuki - Yoi no Miya)* - The user quickly draws their sword and slashes swiftly in a singular horizontal motion in a crescent shape.

* **Second Form: Pearl Flower Moongazing** *(Ni no Kata: Shuka no Rogetsu)* - The user performs several crescent-shaped slashes that defend him from incoming attacks.

* **Third Form: Loathsome Moon, Chains** *(San no Kata: Enkidzuki - Tsugari)* - The user swings their sword rapidly in two gigantic crescent slashes with an extensive range of attack.

* **Fourth Form: Black Ring, Lunar Eclipse** *(Shi no Kata: Kuromaru - Gesshoku)* - The user will slash in a concentrated 360 degrees attack. This Form possesses an incredible range, and should be used to eliminate threats all around the user.

* **Fifth Form: Moon Spirit Calamitous Eddy** *(Go no Kata: Geppaku Saika)* - The user makes multiple curved slashes layered over one another, creating a rising vortex of sword slashes.

* **Sixth Form: Perpetual Night, Lonely Moon - Incessant** *(Roku no Kata: Tokoyo Kogetsu - Muken)* - The user releases a wild barrage of crescent-shaped slashes several meters in front of them.

* **Seventh Form: Mirror of Misfortune, Moonlit** *(Shichi no Kata: Yakkyo - Dzukibae)* - The user swings their sword in what appears as a powerful frontal crescent-shaped slash but actually are powerful multi-directional long-ranged slashes in the ground.

* **Eighth Form: Moon-Dragon Ringtail** *(Hachi no Kata: Getsuryu Rinbi)* - The user performs a singular gigantic crescent-shaped slash that slowly decreases in size.

* **Ninth Form: Waning Moonswaths** *(Ku no Kata: Kudaridzuki - Renmen)* - The user does a stream of long-ranged crescent-shaped vertical and horizontal slashes

* **Tenth Form: Drilling Slashes, Moon Through Bamboo Leaves** *(Ju no Kata: Senmenzan - Ragetsu)* - The user performs a long-ranged triple-layered slash twister, having an extensive range and destructive capacity

* **Eleventh Form: Fragmented Moon** *(Ju Ichi no Kata: Danpen-ka Shita Tsuki)* - The user will quickly strike downwards at such speeds that it barely looks like they moved. This will often break the floor and leave large slashes on the ground.

* **Twelfth Form: Brilliant Scattering Moondust** *(Ju Ni no Kata: Azayaka Tsukihokori no Sanran)* - The user will perform two powerful, crescent slashes in quick succession in order to clear their surroundings or defend from attacks

* **Thirteenth Form: Moon’s Pull** *(Ju San no Kata: Tsuki no Hiku)* - The user will slash all around themselves with their long sword, used in self-defence or to strike multiple enemies at once

* **Fourteenth Form: Catastrophe, Tenman Crescent Moon** *(Ju Shi no Kata: Kyohen - Tenman Sengetsu)* - The user creates a chaotic vortex of powerful prolonged omni-directional slashes that destroys whatever is caught up within its attack radius.

* **Fifteenth Form: Slicing Waning Moon** *(Ju Go no Kata: Gegen'notsuki Kiru)* - The user dashes past an opponent or a group of opponents, delivering countless slashes in the way at high speeds, with a deceivingly large range

* **Sixteenth Form: Moonbow, Half Moon** *(Ju Roku no Kata: Gekko - Katawaredzuki)* - The user creates a barrage of downward crescent slashes from an extensive and wide range, resulting in a powerful six-fold slash crashing down on his opponents; the attack itself is powerful enough to create several miniature craters where the slashes have landed.

* **Seventeenth Form: Crescent Rush** *(Ju Shichi no Kata: Mikadzuki Bakushin)* - The user dashes with a low stance, unsheathing their blade for a powerful, crescent shaped upwards slashed, potentially aimed diagonally for additional damage.

* **Eighteenth Form: Heaven Piercing Moon Fang** *(Ju Hachi no Kata: Tensho no Getsuga)* - The user performs a single, high power, crescent upwards vertical slash that can tear any defenses apart and rend an opponent's body in half. This attack, if performed by an inexperienced user, will be incredibly suicidal.

* **Nineteenth Form: Dark Night Sky** *(Ju Ku no Kata: Kurai Yozora)* - The user performs a frontal vortex of slashes to redirect and intercept incoming attacks that can't be blocked head-on.

## **Trivia:**

* While there was a piece of surviving writing from Michikatsu detailing ten of the twelve original Forms, but since no one could even come close to replicating the same movements, alongside the taboo of the Moon Breathing's very existence, it was locked away and kept mostly hidden.