Sword God Style

""A 『Sword God』 isn't something that you can become simply by memorizing a skill or something, you know? Even though someone special like me didn't get special treatment, why is there a need to treat Sword Saints that way?""

- Sword God Gal Farion

Sword God Style (剣神流 Kenshin-ryū) is one of the three major schools of swordsmanship, and the one considered the strongest.

Characteristics
It is a style of swordsmanship that emphasizes speed and aggression, where the main focus is to strike down the opponent first. As a result, many of the practitioners develop to be short-tempered and belligerent. In order to be able to react swiftly, there is discouragement for practitioners to wear heavy armour and instead opt for light clothing for maximum mobility.

Given the philosophy of defeating the enemy with a single blow, this style usually renders its users inept at defense and leaving with no counter-attacks. Due to this, Sword God Style practitioners find it difficult to fight a Water God Style practitioner as they are, conversely, adept at defense and countering. Contrarily, this style can overwhelm the North God Style as they mostly rely on the environment to fight.

Succession
When a swordsman of the Sword God school defeats a Sword God, he can assume the title of Sword God - the strongest and the head of the school. If the Sword God dies for any other reason, the next strongest of the Sword God school will assume the title of Sword God. Therefore, a generational change of Sword God means a civil war in the Sword God school.

Techniques

 * Longsword of Light (光の太刀 Hikari no Tachi): The ultimate technique of the Sword God Style. In this technique, the sword is held steady with both hands, and all the force of the sword is put into a single swing. This technique is extremely difficult to evade or defend against due to the speed of the slash, which can reach the speed of light when fully mastered, and the power to cut a heavy-armoured enemy in half. The existence of this technique is the reason why Sword God Style is called the strongest of the three schools.


 * Light Reversal (光返し Hikari-gaeshi): The only known technical countermeasure against the Longsword of Light. In this technique, it is a requirement for the user to have exceeding reaction speed; before the enemy's Longsword of Light reaches its maximum velocity, it is countered by the user's own Longsword of Light by cutting off the wrist of the enemy.


 * Longsword of Silence (無音の太刀 Muon no Tachi): An advanced technique of the Sword God Style. This technique is a slower variant of the Longsword of Light where the blade is swung at a velocity beyond the speed of sound. A characteristic of this technique is that leaves no sound behind.

Ranks
There are seven ranks in the Sword God Style.


 * 1) Sword God
 * 2) Sword Emperor
 * 3) Sword King
 * 4) Sword Saint - When a Sword God Style practitioner reaches Saint Rank, they are given a dark leather jacket that has a white fur trim collar and a pair of white belts on each end of the sleeve similar to what Ghislaine and later Eris are wearing.
 * 5) Sword God Style Advanced
 * 6) Sword God Style Intermediate
 * 7) Sword God Style Beginner

Those of Saintly level and above may call themselves a Saint, King, Emperor or God of the Sword God school. And practitioners with rank Kingly level and above, are granted special titles by the Sword God. Similar to the system of Water God Style, there can be only one swordsman of the God rank while the there can be multiple practitioners who can assume the rank of Sword Emperor and below.

Known Practitioners

 * Sword Gods: Gal Farion, Jino Britts


 * Sword Emperors: Timothy Britts


 * Sword Kings: "Black Wolf" Ghislaine, "Mad Dog" Eris, Nina Farion


 * Advanced: Paul Greyrat, Soldat Heckler


 * Intermediate: Rudeus Greyrat, Norn Greyrat, Luke Notos Greyrat

Trivia

 * The first generation Sword God was someone who simply swung his sword faster than anyone else to kill them. He had no need for things like techniques or differing sword swings.
 * The headquarters of the Sword God school is located in the Holy Land of the Sword on the far north-west corner of the Central Continent.
 * Holy Land of the Sword was initially owned by Sword God but claimed by Water God and the current Sword God is the one who reclaimed it back from the previous Water God.