Maria's Reckoning.
An ancient method of settling disputes .. first established by one of the greatest hunters in the history of the Heart: Maria Heart.
It was a public duel, witnessed by a vast gathering of the Heart.
Those who entered such a battle fought without restraint.
It ended only in surrender… or death.
Typically, it was a one-on-one confrontation.
But that was never a strict rule.
If the conflict was collective, the battlefield could expand far beyond a single duel.
Many despised this tradition .. for its brutality, its bloodshed. More often than not, one side lay dead before anyone yielded. Rarely did surrender come.
Yet the Uncrowned Emperor, Asterion Heart, favored this method above all others. He was infamous for having participated in more Maria's Reckonings than anyone in Heart history.
Seventy-one duels.
Seventy-one victories.
Not a single defeat.
He became the undisputed king of the arena .. surpassing even Maria herself, who had created the tradition.
