114 Shiki Aragami

114 Shiki Aragami (Method 114: Savage Bite) is a Special Move in The King of Fighters series.

This, along with its followup attacks, is primarily used by Kyo Kusanagi. This along with the similarly named 115 Shiki Dokugami, being one of the many new techniques he personally developed for a more offensive-varied focus to make up for his first defeat by Goenitz's hands before the events of The King of Fighters '96.

Through the events of KOF: Chronicle, this attack was first presented as a prototype by the name of Agata 114 Shiki: Tane Hozuki (Sub-Type Method 114: Seed Ogre Lantern), which was initially only a small spark emitted from Kyo's punch until he could fully perfect the attack by the time the 96 tournament starts.

Description
Kyo punches forward with his following arm for a fire-laced body-blow hook. This sets itself up for many of Kyo's several followup moves that have normally stayed the same in this specific setup across games:

Strategy
Kyo's Aragami multi-inputs can go into a couple different chains and a couple different enders, all with different uses. While they are listed separately here as they all require detail, it may become confusing to follow along. To save you a bit of trouble, here is a table of the chains and a brief description of each, and you can scroll down and continue reading for more in-depth explanations of the specifics and usages for each rekka part.

As this move acts as a startup of Kyo's light multi-input/rekka chains, the move can branch off into a few different input routes as depicted above. Due to that, this is a swiss army knife of a move and the lifeblood of Kyo's game, flipping between a mid-range harassment tool, pressure and mix-up tool, and core combo piece. You can use Aragami as a poke, or as a relatively safe blockstring ender (it's "unsafe" on block, but has quite a bit of pushback, actually making you somewhat safe). It's also useful for destroying projectiles, though this won't work on projectiles or super projectiles (such as Haoh Shoukou Ken). As for the rekka follow-ups, here are the useful strategies as explained below:


 * 128 Shiki Konokizu is mostly acts as a filler follow-up, not much special other than adding combo damage and making Kyo's rekka enders consistent. Leads to a soft knockdown if done without the other two followups. Immensely unsafe on block, though it can be used as a (very) risky frame trap if the opponent tries to press a button after blocking Aragami with careless abare breakouts.


 * While 125 Shiki Nanase ends the Aragami chain by sending the opponent flying with a side-kick to cause a soft knockdown, the move is best used to end combos midscreen for corner carry in exchange for not being a hard knockdown. Unsafe on block however, and mainly for the Yanosabi-bridge-version only works to connect on block as a blockstring extender in some games where it does even exist.


 * Normally, 127 Shiki Yanosabi can be used to end the Aragami chain by slamming the opponent down onto the ground with an elbow strike. Like Konokizu, this move is unsafe on block. It grants a hard knockdown, allowing for okizeme afterward. Despite the animation, the finisher version does not hit high and can be blocked crouching. The bridge version however, is an overhead attack and can be used to frame-trap and mix up an opponent at the same time, but still unsafe on block. Due to pushback, this move can be very difficult to punish without supers at midscreen. You can actually use this to end certain midscreen juggle combos instead of using a chain ender to grant safejump okizeme afterward with an immediate hyper-hop jumping [[File:Neo Geo C Button.gif]].


 * The rekka/multi-input-sequence version of his 212 Shiki Kototsuki You is a hit-grab similar to his old standalone variation of the move, but is able to hit a downed opponent this time right after the Aragami-to-Yanosabi sequence to make itself an ender to his rekkas (which of course, also foregoes the initial elbow thrust). Knocks the opponent very far away and serves to allow Kyo some corner carry off of the overhead if it lands, but gives him no okizeme opportunity. Unsurprisingly unsafe on block.


 * While Ge Shiki Migiri Ugachi doesn't do as much damage as the Kototsuki You ender, but instead it leaves better positioning for okizeme. Unsafe on block similar to the Kototsuki You ender.
 * Only in Maximum Impact 2 and Regulation 'A' for base Kyo, an alternate version of Migiri Ugachi can be performed from the [[File:Neo Geo D Button.gif]] version R.E.D. Kick as [[File:Down Input.png]] + [[File:Neo Geo C Button.gif]]. Both versions of Migiri Ugachi in the MI games launch the foe on hit to make it work as a great OTG pick-up launcher.


 * While originally predated only by the rekka-version of the 88 Shiki for base Kyo only in KOF XI (which can only be done with [[File:Neo Geo D Button.gif]] from the Aragami>Yanosabi bridge), the newly added 124 Shiki Munotsuchi as of XIV being a direct Aragami-followup works arguably better. Both of these moves however still fill in the purpose of covering up the Aragami sequence's prior major weakness in lacking lows.
 * The Munotsuchi in particular however, while usable as either a frame trap (3 frames to prevent most mash outs) or a backdash punisher to still keep the defender in relative range of the Aragami sequence onslaught, has a more beneficial knockdown effect on top of its own 2 followups unlike the 88 Shiki. The animation is also somewhat shorter along with more overall difficulty in punishing it without specific reads. Even then, there is so far only one spot to use the Munotsuchi in while there are still currently 2 possible overhead routes across the entirety of the Aragami sequence.


 * The Aragami version of 427 Shiki Hikigane was first added in XI for base Kyo which acted only as an Aragami-bridge or Konokizu finisher only with frame-trapping utility for avoiding either lows or highs like the original standalone version (though only EX Kyo could perform it standalone while normal Kyo had it only as an Aragami sequencer). Though as of KOF XIV which only uses the [[File:Neo Geo D Button.gif]] version, it nonetheless is a great launcher for corner damage, since this goes right into Orochinagi loops very easily. The long airtime after launch is great for priming an EX OK.png 75 Shiki Kai > Aragami > Orochinagi to start the loop.
 * Can also be followed up into Aragami > Konokizu midscreen with a well timed Nanase as midscreen ender, the Yanosabi ➀ follow up can be done in the corner for a bit of meterless damage and oki, he can also super cancel the second sequence input for meter cash-out.
 * Can be combo'ed into EX OK.png Shiki Kai in the corner for longer combos or can go directly into Oniyaki for Orochinagi ender.
 * Can also use Aragami > Yanosabi ➁ > Kototsuki You follow up in the corner for his hitgrab ender.


 * Ge Shiki Tsurube Otoshi is a midscreen option for when the low connects. The hard knockdown allows Kyo to leap forward with what is essentially the Ge Shiki Naraku Otoshi (akin to older versions of him being able to perform this move mid-step-dash) and resume pressure with a safejump. Also has good corner carry, and supplements the low hit from the prior Munotsuchi.


 * In the Maximum Impact games, all of these move sequences can be super-cancel-able if Kyo has spare meter, making them strong combo options that can easily be worth the meter to spend on.

Trivia

 * Kyo's quote when using 114 Shiki Aragami, "Body ga..." (ボディが...) is often misheard as "Bodega". This slowly became a meme within the SNK community.
 * Quite obviously, these sets of followups are inspired from Fei-Long's Rekkaken (and later, Karin Kanzuki's Guren Ken) from the Street Fighter series, but greatly expanded upon.
 * So far only in KOF XI, both the two playable versions of Kyo have different sequences of the Aragami that don't follow the usual scheme as per the norm for Kyo's other playable versions with this attack.
 * From this sequence, Kyo's Aragami-version of Kototsuki You since KOF 2001 predates the EX OK.png version of Iori's Kototsuki In (since XIII) as a Kototsuki variation that can pick-up downed opponents.
 * As per Kyo's personal "taste" in poetry, the Tsurube Otoshi in particular is also named after the Japanese phrase for "sinking quickly", and is also named after a Japanese creature in folklore that tends hide up in trees to drop a well-bucket for scooping up its prey.