"I got you now, you son of a bitch," Leon grumbles under his breath, cerulean eyes trained on the shadow of the creature ahead of him. The ghostbane in his blood has given him the advantage against the monster's effects on him, leaving him with enough stamina to endure the chase after it. The forest is quiet around them, almost as if holding its breath for the outcome of the chase. The vampire hunter is seeking that one opportunity, one misstep on the creature's plan, when it finally happens. Its clothing snags on a fallen log, hidden under the snow, and it stumbles.

Then, Leon lunges.

He hits into the body of the creature with a muffled thud, sending them both sprawling into the snow. He pins the monster's arms down with his knees, his thighs on either side of its chest, while he raises the ashwood stake high above his head. His gaze zeroes on on the exposed porcelain skin of the creature when he spots the swell of breasts underneath the cloak it wears. His gaze darts up towards its face, and he freezes.

"You," he breathes, recognizing the face of the vampiress he'd been hunting for almost eight years now. He grits his teeth, feeling a wave of both warmth and cold dread washing over him. Nothing he ever did before brought him as close to her as he is now. It takes her one mistake for him to have all the power in his hands, hovering above their heads. "I thought I told you to stay away from my village, you foul creature," he spits through clenched teeth. "What reason do you have for returning?"