Ura 108 Shiki Orochinagi

Ura 108 Shiki Orochinagi (lit. "Reverse Method 108: Great Serpent Mower"), also shortened as Orochinagi (, "Great Serpent Mower"), is one of Kyo Kusanagi's Super Special Moves in The King of Fighters series, also used by Saisyu Kusanagi, Kyo-1 and Kusanagi. Orochi Chris uses a "dark/shade-black" version of this attack with the same properties.

Description
As one of the signature strongest techniques of the Kusanagi-style and as one of the stronger variations of the 108 Shiki Yami Barai, the user holds a wad of flames in place in some fashion or another, and then swipes forward with a waving motion of sorts, sliding forward with a wave of flames in unison to "mow" down the opposition.

The version piles on extra layers of waves, usually up to 3 at once. The flame waves are able to negate most projectiles, and users are able to delay it via the button used being held down, albeit it has no effect on its damage.

While there are games that don't possess the stronger flame-aura-version, KOF XIII is the first game to have its stronger version not use the said aura while delaying it only in Kyo's case.

In the case of Kyo and his clones, they perform this attack by holding up the flame their leading hand above and in front, and swiping with a motion akin to the aforementioned Yami Barai (in the 3D modeled games, Kyo leans more forward with a different swiping motion).

In Saisyu's case, he via one of his battle intros instead cups the flames in between his two hands in front of him in a horse stance facing the foreground. He then unleashes the wave by having his following arm up and leading arm low, then stepping forward as he waves both arms to sling the wave forward with his leading arm.

Orochi Chris' case for the Ankoku Orochinagi has him instead, hold the flame on his fingertip and to then swing out the flame wave with his leading arm in the same fashion as Kyo's.

Strategy
In every game that Ura 108 Shiki Orochinagi has appeared in, it is THE main combo ender for Kyo, Saisyu, Kyo-1, Kusanagi and Orochi Chris' metered and MAX Mode combos.

It should also be noted that, surprisingly, charging Orochinagi doesn't increase its damage, but actually slightly decreases its range. However, the charged version has a faster release upon its active frames, which is very important in grounded combos. For all its utility on-hit every version of Orochinagi, charged or not, it is still pretty bad on block. It has mediocre reversal and anti-air potential as it's not only slow to use, but also loses its full invulnerability long before it hits, and said invulnerability is lost if interrupted by a low or high invulnerability attack if the user charges it.

Though the real gimmick is the specific type of attribute invincibility it offers depending on the version used; the version gives the user invulnerability against lows, while the  version is invulnerable against mid and high attacks. The said invincibility lasts as long as the user delays the attack, which may work as a solid punisher even though the attack itself can easily be punished due to the recovery if whiffed or blocked.

The MAX version is famous before KOF XIII, for wrapping Kyo/Kyo-1/Kusanagi in a flaming aura that counts as a damaging hitbox and lasts as long as they delays it while also offering invulnerability against mids and highs like the normal version. Said flaming aura automatically knocks down, but can lead into juggles and extra hits that prime up for the finishing wave in the corner (or as a frame-1 get-of-me tool). The aura can absorb some weaker projectiles too, depending on the game.

Similar Attacks

 * Shingo Kinsei Ore Shiki: Orochi Zuki - Shingo's flameless variation.

Trivia

 * Orochinagi visually references the "Yamata-no-Orochi" mythology, where Yamato was caught in burning open field and swung the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi (originally called the Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi) to cut the grass, revealing that it could control the winds, and blew back the flames.
 * This is also literal in Orochinagi's direct translation of its name, Great Serpent Mower.


 * The King of Fighters XIII is the first (and currently only) KOF game for Kyo to enable usage of this move in midair. This is based on some fanmade M.U.G.E.N. iterations of him (which makes it work as a solid combo finisher or juggle extender in the corner).