"Choi... Choi Ha-neul..."
I couldn't believe my eyes. The person I’d missed so much, Choi Ha-neul, was standing right there.
Under normal circumstances, I’d ask how she’d been or if she was alright, but I couldn't. I knew her mind was currently hostile toward us.
"Ha-neul!"
"Don't!"
I grabbed Meriden Eloise’s shoulder as she tried to rush toward her, holding her back.
Ha-neul’s pupils were a blood-red. She was still a vampire.
"What’s this? Are you guys acquainted with our Ha-neul?"
There was another woman standing beside her, likely a vampire as well. I didn’t know her name, but she was probably a high-ranking member of the Volkihar Clan.
"Give Ha-neul back!"
"Heh, I don't think I can do that. If you want her so badly, try taking her back by force."
The standard hero-and-villain dialogue was exchanged. Everyone in the party realized that a peaceful resolution through words was impossible, and the tension in the room spiked.
"Miss Ha-neul, I apologize in advance. I will be using force to bring you back."
Lydia gripped her sword and shield tightly as she made the vow.
It was a hair-trigger situation where a bloodbath could break out at any second. Suddenly, Serana, who had been hiding behind Lydia and me, pulled back her hood and spoke.
"Hello, Salonia. Been keeping well?"
"Wha—Lady Serana? You're alive?"
Salonia was visibly rattled by Serana’s appearance. For a brief moment, she tried to maintain etiquette, but she quickly changed her tune.
"No, you're a traitor now. I have no reason to grovel before you."
"Is that so? But I think 'traitor' fits someone like you better—the one secretly forming factions inside the castle."
Salonia stiffened. Serana continued her verbal assault.
"Do you know why my father and I didn't clean you up? Because no matter how many factions small-fry like you form, you’re still miles beneath our league."
"Shut your mouth!!"
—Clang!
Radiating pure bloodlust, Salonia swung her sword at Serana. Serana drew an Elven dagger and countered the strike.
Blades clashed in a flurry of exchanges. Salonia briefly backed off to create space before lunging at Serana again.
—BOOM!
Serana and Salonia smashed through the wall of the inn and were blown outside.
"My inn...!"
"Lydia, Eloise, get ready."
""Yes!""
Ignoring the innkeeper's wailing, we began our battle with Choi Ha-neul in earnest.
—Fshhhhh!
A Storm Atronach manifested through a rift in dimensions.
Since I knew Ha-neul’s weaknesses better than anyone after adventuring with her, I chose the frost element to exploit her vulnerability to cold.
My Conjuration level was currently 88. The Atronach took on a perfect form, and I could guarantee it was significantly stronger than anything summoned by a common mage.
The summoned atronach raised both arms and slammed them down toward Ha-neul.
I quickly summoned a Bound Bow and loosed an arrow aimed at her abdomen.
Lydia had also charged to Ha-neul's flank, swinging her sword with flawless form.
Three attacks landed simultaneously. No matter how powerful a Dragonborn was, there was no way she could block all of them.
At least, that’s what I thought. But Choi Ha-neul had become monstrously strong.
"Tiid!"
As she used the Shout to slow time, her figure turned into a blur of afterimages. She bypassed all three attacks effortlessly and put some distance between us.
'Right, she has the Thu'um...!'
Her Dragonborn physical specs were bad enough, but her Shouts were a terrifying variable.
"Haaah!"
Lydia let out a battle cry and swung her sword at the retreating Ha-neul. Ha-neul countered with her own blade work.
Ha-neul aimed for Lydia's lower body, sweeping her Blades Sword in a diagonal slash.
Lydia caught the attack on an angle with her one-handed sword, making Ha-neul's blade catch right against the hilt. After parrying the blow, Lydia tried to bash Ha-neul’s face with her Orcish shield, but Ha-neul lowered her center of gravity and ducked under it.
—Clang! Clang!
A series of fast, precise strikes followed. Lydia held the edge in technique, but Ha-neul dominated in sheer strength and speed.
I continued to provide fire support with my bow, and a few arrows found their mark.
Eloise focused on healing us whenever our stamina or health dipped too low.
"Phew, hah!"
As the fight dragged on, it felt like Ha-neul was finally getting tired. Her breathing became ragged.
Sensing the danger, she eventually resorted to her trump card.
—Wroooooooom!
"What is this?!"
A blood-red aura surged around Ha-neul, enveloping her. Lydia backed away in shock at the sight.
The curtain of blood lifted, revealing Choi Ha-neul... or rather, a hideous monster.
"A Vampire Lord!!"
In her transformed state, Ha-neul shifted into a swarm of bats, instantly bypassing Lydia and the Atronach to reach our healer, Eloise.
"H-Hic...!"
Overcome by sheer terror and despair, Eloise let out a pathetic hiccup. Ha-neul delivered a roundhouse kick straight to her side.
"KYAAAAH!"
The kick sent Eloise flying dozens of meters through the air until she slammed into the stone wall of the forge. With her frail constitution, even a single hit from Ha-neul was lethal.
"Cough..."
Eloise spat out blood amidst the rubble, feeling her bones shatter as she slumped into unconsciousness.
"YOU!!!"
Infuriated, Lydia swung her sword at the monster. The blade struck the creature’s neck accurately, but due to its high physical resistance, the damage was negligible.
"Grrrrrrr!"
—POW!
Ha-neul bombarded Lydia with Drain Life blood magic. For a warrior with high physical armor but low magic resistance, it was a devastatingly effective assault.
"Ngh!"
Struggling helplessly against the blood magic, Lydia’s health plummeted rapidly.
Sensing Lydia’s momentum faltering, Ha-neul lashed out with her claws.
—Clang!
But Lydia blocked it with her shield. She maintained her focus until the very end, fighting back against the monster that used to be Ha-neul.
Realizing that melee combat was a slog, Ha-neul reached out toward a dead guard nearby.
Dark magicka flowed from her hand, raising the corpse. The zombie guard lunged at Lydia, who immediately decapitated it.
However, Ha-neul exploited that small opening, grabbing Lydia’s head and arm with both hands.
"Agggh!"
—CRUNCH.
"Ugh... Miss Ha-neul! Please... wake up!"
Even as her arm was being wrenched, Lydia shouted Ha-neul’s name, but the Dragonborn couldn't hear her. She pulled with even more monstrous strength as if she intended to tear the limb clean off. The sound of joints popping and dislocating echoed through the air.
—SKREEEE!
Then, Lydia’s arm was torn away.
"Stop it, Choi Ha-neul!!"
At this rate, Lydia was going to die. I summoned a sword and shield and charged at the beast.
I knew it was reckless, but I went anyway.
I blocked a swing with my shield and stabbed at her stomach.
"Why is she so damn tough?!"
Ha-neul’s health pool was so massive that my strike only left a tiny scratch.
—THUD!
"Gah!"
Her counterattack slammed into me.
A straight punch hit my solar plexus, sending me flying backward as I vomited blood and bile.
"Damn it..."
I wiped the blood from my mouth and swallowed a curse.
"How about this!"
I commanded the Atronach to grapple Ha-neul, then focused all my energy on the summon’s magicka core.
—K-BOOM!
The Atronach clinging to Ha-neul cracked before triggering an explosion of absolute zero cold. Snow and ice shrapnel scattered everywhere.
This was my favorite move—intentionally collapsing a summon. It was a massive magicka drain, but the effect was usually guaranteed.
—Whoosh.
As the debris and snow settled from the blast, Choi Ha-neul was still standing there, completely unscathed.
"You’ve got to be kidding me..."
'How did she survive that?'
Thinking for a split second, the reality of vampire traits hit me.
Once you fully turn into a vampire, you gain 50% Frost Resistance. I cursed myself for forgetting such a basic mechanic in the heat of battle.
—Flash!
Before I could even berate myself, the monster wearing Ha-neul’s skin blinked right in front of me.
"Ha-neul...?"
Her red, hollow eyes glared at me. She raised a massive claw and...
—SHRED!
"Urgh... Gakh!"
Her claws raked across my chest. Three long gashes opened up across my torso, and blood soaked the ground instantly.
That was the last thing I remembered.
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