Vampire Progenitor System

The forest was chaos.

Dust and broken trees flew in every direction as the Jorogumo skittered across the ground, her limbs a blur, cutting deep trenches into the earth. She moved too fast for something that size—unnaturally fast. Her upper body twisted around like her spine didn’t exist, arms stretching out with disturbing flexibility as she laughed again, shrill and sharp like nails on glass.

Temmy flew in low, dodging a sweeping leg. ”She’s freaky as hell, Ruka!”

”I noticed!!” Ruka barked, barely avoiding another silk thread that turned the bark of a nearby tree into ash.

Temmy spun mid-air and flung a series of glowing spirit chains down toward the monster. They wrapped around one of the spider legs, yanking it down. For a second, the creature staggered.

Ruka didn’t miss the chance.

He darted in from the side, blue flames spiraling around his fists. ”Spirit flare—burst!”

He punched the chained leg with everything he had. A shockwave cracked out from the impact, blue light surging outward like a pulse. The Jorogumo screeched, leg snapping backward as she stumbled.

Mob was crouched behind a broken stump, both hands moving quickly as he traced runes across the forest floor. A glowing circle was already forming beneath him, threads of energy linking each talisman like veins. Sweat dripped from his brow.

”Buy me two minutes!!” he shouted.

”Easy for you to say!” Temmy snapped, dodging another barrage of silk threads. One grazed her shoulder, burning through the edge of her cloak like acid.

She winced. ”Her threads aren’t normal.”

”They’re laced with demonic essence,” Ruka muttered. ”This isn’t just a regular Jorogumo. She’s been feeding on cursed souls.”

”Great,” Temmy said dryly. ”Just what we needed. A demon junkie spider.”

The monster lunged again, all eight legs slamming into the ground like thunder. Her upper body twisted, launching toward Ruka. Her mouth opened unnaturally wide, sharp fangs dripping with black venom.

Ruka jumped back, sliding across the dirt. ”Nope, not today.”

Temmy dropped beside him, palm raised. ”Together?”

”Like always.”

Temmy’s aura flared gold, bright and wild like a supernova. Ruka’s blue flames danced in sync beside her. They raised their hands at the same time, their energies merging mid-air in a spiral.

”Spirit Severance!” they shouted in unison.

A beam of combined energy—gold and blue, bright like a collapsing star—shot forward, crashing into the Jorogumo’s chest. She screamed, her form blasted back through trees, which exploded in bursts of splinters and fire.

But she wasn’t down.

She hit the ground, rolled, then twisted back up like her bones were liquid. Her smile widened. Her lower half shimmered—and then duplicated.

Three illusory clones burst out of her body, all eight-legged and snarling, racing out in different directions.

Temmy’s eyes narrowed. ”Which one’s real?”

”Does it matter?” Ruka clenched his fists. ”We wreck them all.”

They split without needing to speak—Ruka chasing one, Temmy going after the second.

The third charged straight toward Mob.

Mob’s hands didn’t stop moving. ”Oh come on—!”

A shadow blurred past him.

CLANG!

Ruka’s spirit blade met the clone just in time, sparks flying as they clashed.

”Focus on the seal!” Ruka shouted, slashing upward and kicking the clone back into a tree.

Mob didn’t answer. He was already lost in the runes, muttering under his breath, light crawling faster around the circle. The seal was almost ready.

Temmy zipped through the air, spinning like a comet, her body wrapped in ribbons of golden energy. She clashed with her target mid-air, exchanging a flurry of blows with the illusion. She knew it wasn’t real, but it hit hard enough to break stone.

She ducked a swipe and summoned a spirit staff, spinning it around her back and cracking it against the clone’s face. It shattered into mist.

”Gotcha.”

The real Jorogumo didn’t like that.

She shrieked and charged again, moving faster than before. One of her legs stabbed into the ground—then exploded, sending dirt and shrapnel everywhere.

Ruka barely had time to grab Temmy and pull her behind a rock.

”Okay,” he said, brushing dirt off her shoulder. ”We need to finish this.”

”No shit.”

She reached for him—and their palms connected.

The air trembled.

Their energies swirled again, this time deeper, more in sync. Spirit magic and demonic fire tangled like DNA strands, forming a blade between them.

A massive spear of fused energy formed above their heads, crackling and humming like it had a mind of its own.

Temmy’s eyes glowed. ”You ready?”

Ruka gave her a smirk. ”Always.”

Together, they launched it.

”SPIRIT-HELL LANCE!”

The spear screamed through the air like a meteor.

The Jorogumo tried to move—but the seal circle beneath her began to glow.

Mob stood up, hands spread, eyes fierce. ”You’re not going anywhere.”

The seal activated.

Chains of red and gold energy erupted from the ground, wrapping around the Jorogumo’s limbs, rooting her in place. She thrashed, screamed, twisted, tried to vanish into mist—but the circle held.

Temmy and Ruka’s spear hit.

BOOOOM!

The impact lit up the whole forest like daylight. The explosion shot up into the sky, wind blasting through the trees like a storm. Birds fled. Leaves flew. Even Mob staggered backward, covering his eyes.

When the smoke cleared, the Jorogumo lay crumpled in the center of the circle, her body charred, legs shattered. Her human face was cracked, spider eyes dull.

But she wasn’t dead yet.

She coughed, black ichor spilling from her mouth, and hissed. ”You... little... things...”

Mob stepped forward, holding the final talisman. ”Say hi to the void for me.”

He pressed it into the seal.

The circle flared one last time—and then collapsed inward, dragging the monster’s body with it.

She vanished with a final screech that echoed for miles.

Silence fell.

No birds. No wind. Just silence.

Temmy dropped to the ground, panting. ”That... was a lot.”

Ruka fell beside her, flat on his back. ”I think I broke my everything.”

Mob dusted off his jacket. ”You’re welcome.”

Temmy raised a brow. ”You nearly got impaled.”

”I still finished the seal.”

”Barely,” Ruka muttered, face in the dirt.

Mob stretched, cracking his back. ”You guys really have been fighting together for a while, huh?”

Temmy looked at Ruka, then smiled a little. ”Yeah. He’s annoying, but useful.”

”Right back at you,” Ruka said, still not moving.

Mob chuckled. ”We should move. That fight definitely drew attention.”

Temmy nodded. ”Yeah. And if a Class A is out here... something worse might be nearby.”

Mob’s eyes narrowed. ”Let’s not stick around to find out.”

The three of them started moving again, the forest quiet behind them.

But the feeling in the air hadn’t vanished.

Something worse was coming.

And this was just the beginning.