Fire Force is built around an era where humans and flames become one. When a human combusts, turned into an infernal, the fire force is dispatched to put them to rest and ensure human safety. It's a job that messes with the foundations of justice and morals, because those combusted humans are still alive, just in a much more sinister form.
What lessens the guilt for these characters? Religion. At least, the basis for one, even if they don't entirely believe in the system. So, what is látom and how do our characters use this term in their daily lives? Let's take a look at a few interpretations of this curious word.
10 Here We Go Again...
When Arthur joins the 8th company's Fire Force, he first interacts with Shinra. They went to the same academy but often competed against each which carries over into their new roles as members of the Fire Force.
As they prepare to face off once again, Lieutenant Hinawa enters the scene and Arthur offers his greetings, but not in a way befitting for a superior. Arthur's convictions are based upon the fact that he's a knight, and therefore everyone is equal before the round table. In a moment of shock, Iris says látom because they all know that to break protocol in front of this Lieutenant is grounds for punishment.
9 On Dangerous Footing
Captain Hibana of the 5th Fire Force company is the ultimate captain as she bosses around her underlings. Hibana has fallen in love with Shinra and takes to spending time at the 8th's squad base. Whenever she visits, Hibana is often complaining about Shinra's overwork and how he deserves a higher rank.
Captain Hibana is a sadist. She literally walks over her subordinates and often uses them as her throne. It's when she's at the 8th's base looking after operations when a subordinate asks if they should just accept their punishment that Iris bows and says látom, as Hibana's foot comes crashing down on him. In this instance, látom acts as a warning before Hibana punishes her subordinate.
8 A Bidding Of Good Luck
Shinra and Arthur go to rescue one of the Fire Force's mascots from a tree. During this time, a firefighter is facing judgment for heinous crimes, and just as he's set free, he turns into an infernal. The issue is that this infernal is completely conscious and can even talk.
Their absence when the alarm is sounded in the 8th's base leads to their lieutenant Hinawa to promise them punishment upon their return to the base. Upon hearing this, Shinra and Arthur rush to the scene, but before going, the mascot bids them luck with a quick látom.
7 Grant Me The Strength
Iris decides to visit the 5th's captain Hibana in the hopes that she'll cooperate with them instead of having their squads coming to blows, but Hibana has no such cavalier intentions. Instead, Iris finds herself as bait to lure in the 8th, even though Hibana would never directly hurt her one and only friend from her childhood.
Before leaving on this quest, Iris says a prayer and ends it with látom and a determined face. In this way, we can see that she's asking this prayer to guide her and for látom to grant her strength to see her through.
6 Well Wishes
At the Fire Soldier Games, Shinra encounters Joker, a player between two sides: those looking to exterminate the cause of human combustion and those looking to create a new world. He appears at critical moments knowing a little too much for comfort and asks Shinra to join him, but Shinra has no such motivation.
With the explosions and catastrophe that befall the Fire Soldier Games, Shinra and Captain Obi turn to the News to see if the event is publicized. It's during this moment that we encounter the reporter signing off with well-wishes in the form of látom.
5 Irony
As the 8th and 5th forces meet up for a barbeque after the battle between them, the two decide to share information about human combustion and treat the raid as training for both companies in order to avoid unnecessary suspicions.
During this time, Maki is showing off her sputter fireballs to the 3 angels of the 5th company when Arthur cuts them down with his sword. He says it's by order of Lieutenant Hinawa that he destroy her fireballs whenever she brings them out to play. Maki laments at their passing, while an onlooking mascot says látom in this ironic situation.
4 Literal
The etymology, or word origin, of látom is broken into two parts: lát + -om. The first part of the word has three possible roots: Hungarian, Icelandic, and Vietnamese. For Hungarian it's meaning is to see or perceive, Icelandic means death, while Vietnamese may mean to slice, or a short while.
For the second root, -om is part of the suffix, which dictates tense and possessive forms of látom. It's through the combination of both that the word is deduced to mean "I see it," or "I perceive it."
3 Hungarian
When translated, látom means "I see it" in Hungarian. This is thought to be similar to when people of religious associations use amen at the end of their prayer, which roughly means "so be it."
This leads to further interpretations of the word and its meaning in relation to prayer and its place in the anime. When the Hungarian translation is taken into consideration, it adds emphasis to the overall founding of the word as the people of this world can see the infernals. They know it's not their true forms, and are determined to see the infernals through to their end.
2 Blessing
When an infernal appears, it's a surprise to the 8th company squad to find the man patiently waiting at the table for them. He's succumbed to the flames, but he's endured the pain and kept to himself, not causing disaster and ruin to his surroundings.
This infernal hasn't done anything wrong. He has a family that loves him, yet he's been reduced to the embodiment of flames. Arthur volunteers to take out the infernal, knowing that he's suffering from the flames and wishes to take away that pain for him. This prompts Iris to begin the blessing that will soften the blow and create the pathway into the afterlife.
1 Death Rites - RIP
When Shinra faces off against a self-aware infernal, his conviction to put him down does not waver. Normally, when putting an infernal to rest, the Fire Force has a sister of the faith grant one last prayer so that the infernal may rest in peace.
In this situation, Shinra begins the rites himself, saying that it'll have to be good enough since he was the only member able to keep up with the infernal. Unfortunately for the infernal, he gets caught and is tested upon by the 5th's captain Hibana. In this way, we can infer that látom is part of the gateway to the afterlife.