In the wide streets of Ashvarn, a peculiar Hunter wandered beneath the dark winter sky, an iron shovel resting across his shoulder as though it were a knight's greatsword.
Every step Ethan took drew eyes.
Part of it was the shovel .. an absurd tool for someone bearing the title of Hunter.
The other reason was far more recent.
He had become famous.
Ethan let his gaze drift lazily from face to face. People whispered behind half-covered mouths, stealing glances filled with layered meanings.
Some were curious.
Others regarded him with thinly veiled pity.
But most…
Most looked at him with open mockery.
Seeing it all, Ethan merely smiled.
"It seems the Elders have already announced my duel. I've become the city's favorite topic overnight."
Maria's Reckoning was a celebrated tradition .. a spectacle. To many, it was nothing more than refined entertainment. What could be more thrilling than watching two Hunters clash at the edge of death, wielding powers far beyond human limits?
