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'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
Kyo raises his left hand in the air with flames surrounding it. Then, he swipes forward, creating a large wave of flames in front of him as he slides forward a bit in unison. The MAX version piles on extra layers of waves, usually up to 3 at once. The flame waves are able to negate most projectiles.

He is also able to delay it via the button used being held down, albeit it has no effect on its damage. Though the real gimmick is the specific type of attribute invincibility it offers depending on the version used; the A version gives him invulnerability against lows, while the C version is invulnerable against mid and high attacks. The said invincibility lasts as long as Kyo 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 he 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).

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.

Strategy
In every game that Ura 108 Shiki Orochinagi has appeared in, it is THE main combo ender for Kyo's 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, which is very important in grounded combos. For all its utility on hit every version of Orochinagi, charged or not, is 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 Kyo charges it.

Trivia

 * This move has often been localized in English as "Serpent Wave", "Repressed Serpent Wave" or "Repressed Serpent of the Kusanagi".


 * Orochinagi visually references the "Yamato-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).