North God Style

"“North God Kalman I used a sword, but there is no need to stick to the sword.”"

- North God Kalman II

North God Style (北神流 Hokushin-ryū) is one of the three major schools of swordsmanship.

Characteristics
This main focus of this style is not on techniques or developing specialties, but rather a method on how to stay alive and approach a battle with the highest chance of winning. It relies heavily on the practitioner's adaptability and usage of one's surroundings. As a result, this style involves using a lot of tricks instead of refined techniques. It is a utilitarian style of swordsmanship that includes non-sword fighting techniques such as first-aid and tracking, as well as the ability to fight while physically deficient. Owing to this, different learning institutions have different approach to battle and practitioners have very disparate fighting styles. The practitioners could be dual-wielding swords, or using non-sword weapons like battleaxes and staves.

Due to their style that centers around adaptability of the situation and fighting using tricks, they are a hard counter for Water God Style because of most of their peculiar tricks are hard to parry or counter. While at the same time, this style is weak against Sword God Style due to the latter being a straightforward style that intends to overwhelm opponents before being overwhelmed.

Many adventurers and mercenaries learn the North God Style for its versatility that is required on unpredictable battlefields and situations.

Succession
There are no clear qualifications for a practitioner to become a North God since the North God ranks have only been held by immortal swordsmen of the Kalman lineage.

Known Techniques
Techniques of the North God Style are unique to their user except for a number of fundamental techniques.

Oboro Juumonji

 * Oboro Juumonji (朧十文字): The moment both swords are swung and blocked, the user throws them away and draws the remaining sword to stop the enemy through a gap in the enemy's defense.
 * Used by Auber Corvette

Teardrop Bullet

 * Teardrop Bullet (落涙弾 Rakurui-dan): It involves throwing a bag full of powdered spices at the enemy.
 * Used by Auber Corvette

Four Legged Form

 * Four Legged Form: The user charges using their arms and legs similar to a beast race, making them a smaller target compared to moving in two legs while drawing their weapon when closing the distance to attack their target.
 * Used by Paul Greyrat

Sword Throwing Techniques

 * Sword Throwing Techniques: When a North God Style Swordsman is cornered or rendered immobile, they will throw their sword. The sword is flung at high velocity with the blade whirling violently. This technique has enough impetus to even cut magic fireballs. During Eris' battle against Orsted, she uses another variant of sword throwing technique she witnessed from Auber once. She trained to draw a sword from the scabbard with one hand as fast as possible.
 * Used by an unnamed thug, Auber and Eris

Ranks
There are seven ranks in the North God Style. Practitioners of Saintly level and above may call themselves a Saint, King, Emperor, or God of the North God Style according to their rank. However, unlike the Sword God Style and Water God Style systems, the title of God rank can be assumed by more than one person as long as their strength and skills are approved by most of the practitioners.
 * 1) North God
 * 2) North Emperor
 * 3) North King
 * 4) North Saint
 * 5) North God Style Advanced
 * 6) North God Style Intermediate
 * 7) North God Style Beginner

Known Practitioners

 * North God: Kalman I, Kalman II, Kalman III, Atoferatofe Rybak
 * North Emperor: "Peacock Sword" Auber Corvette †, Doga, Sieghart Saladin Greyrat
 * North King: "Light and Darkness" Wii Taa †, "Twin Swords" Knuckle Guard †, Sieghart Saladin Greyrat (Former), Kalina of Wind
 * North Saint: Eris Greyrat, Gallus Cleaner, Bese Beine of Water
 * Advanced: Paul Greyrat †
 * Beginner: Rudeus Greyrat
 * Unknown Rank: Randolph Marianne, Orsted

Trivia

 * The headquarters of the North God school is located in the Kingdom of Dragon King on the Central Continent.
 * Most of the North God Style practitioner have peculiar/unique traits that differ from one another, usually it's easy to know the trait just by knowing their nickname.
 * North God Style is regarded as the second strongest sword style after Sword God Style.
 * It appears that North God Style is more lenient in granting the title of Kings, having slightly less than 50 known North Kings around the world, way more than Sword Kings and Water Kings.
 * Most antagonist swordsmen appearing in series are North God Style practitioners.
 * The author states that Ruijerd's strength is equal to a North Emperor.