The vampire exploded from the shadows and snatched a teenager straggling behind all of his friends. The kid yelped as the vampire latched on to him, and all the other teens spun around. Upon seeing a bloodsucking leech biting their friend’s neck they screamed and scattered in various directions.

The security guard pulled out a weapon. I couldn’t tell if it was a handgun or a taser, but either way things were about to go down.

Our arrival didn’t help the poor guard at all though. As I drove head-on for the vampire, my headlights caused the security guard to spin and face us, flashlight and weapon trained on my ‘Stang.

The vampire saw an opening and dropped the teenager, clearing the fifteen feet between himself and the security guard in a flash. Long white fangs sank deep into the security guard’s neck. He threw his head back crying out and fired off a shot into the air. Gun confirmed.

“Crank the wheel,” commanded the wizard.

My approaching car caused many of the teens to freeze like deer in my headlights and I slammed on the brakes whipping my car 90° to a stop. As fast as we could, we exited the muscle car. Tain erupted from my side of the car with me but I had to reach in the back floor to grab Jade, my katana. I didn’t have time to grab Fragarach.

The wizard took the lead, his trench coat billowing in the wind. Without hesitation he drew his .357 magnum revolver. He would’ve unloaded all the chambers on the vampire had the monstrosity not grabbed another teenager as hostage holding him in front of itself like a coward. The vamp bit into the teen, then after a few moments threw him to the ground. Burning red eyes fell on Nehemiah with a familiar arrogance.

“Well well well, if it isn’t John Takahashi,” said Nehemiah, facing the vampire head on.

I sidestepped to the left moving in a semi-circle as my grip tightened on the hilt of Jade, my katana, while Tain crouched low at my side. Charice moved to Nehemiah’s right, her wings extending. Rob shifted into an owl perching atop Charice’s shoulder.

“It’s Jun’ichi. Not John,” hissed the Japanese vampire. He snatched a third victim, a teenage girl.

Between us and the vampire, the pudgy security guard writhed on the ground in pain, his mouth open and foaming, eyes wide, staring off into space. Behind the vampire the first teen it bit suffered the same fate as well.

“I see you’re relying on friends to bail you out again wizard. You’re too weak to stand up to me alone.”

Apparently Nehemiah and this Takahashi guy had gone at it before. Who knew? But as long as Nehemiah had been in the monster hunting game, it was no wonder he’d run into practically everyone and everything.

I flicked the tsuba guard with my thumb, easing Jade part way out of the scabbard for a quick draw. “Let the girl go.”

The vampire flashed his fangs again as his lips curled up in a ugly grin. “Oh she’ll go alright. Going, going, gone.”

The young teenage girl squirmed in the vampire’s death grasp. The more she struggled, the tighter his arms wrapped around her neck. I was closest to her now, and her eyes met mine. She was a white girl with auburn hair. To a non-white person she could’ve passed as my cousin or even my sister.

I couldn’t help but think of Anna, my own sister, who died due to the Kelpie, a demon horse. I’d avenged her death last week. Somewhere out there, another Irish-American family would lose their daughter tonight unless I did something about it. Fire welled up in my chest, passing through my face into my eyes. My eyebrows furrowed as I snarled, bearing my own teeth. “You asked for it bloodsucker.”

At my right Nehemiah primed the revolver and prepared to launch lead. My Good Luck boiled within me and I sent it through my left arm as I drew my sword completely from its scabbard. The blade sang as I brought it down in an arc pointing it straight at the vampire. Emerald knots laced from my arm up into the blade until it emitted a jade glow.

The vampire kept the girl pressed against his chest. Soon Nehemiah’s bullets would fly, leaving me razor thin margins to work between. But I wasn’t worried. Good Luck was on my side.

While keeping my sword powered I sent Good Luck through my legs down to my feet and dashed towards the vampire. I brought the sword edge up to drive the sharp tip through the vampires head. His eyes widened as I moved with greater speed than he anticipated.

In a few milliseconds three things happened. He shoved the girl towards me hard. Then he leapt into the air. Nehemiah’s revolver exploded with a bright muzzle flash.

I fell into the depths of my Good Luck magic, becoming one with it. It guided me as I pivoted, twisting on my toes, like Steph Curry approaching the basket but needing to juke up a few defenders. I spun around the girl careful not to skewer her on the end of Jade. I leapt into the air meeting the vampire. He probably would’ve had the upper hand on me were it not for the bullet from Nehemiah that passed through his torso. We moved so fast it was as if we were suspended in midair.

Anna’s face flashed in my mind, and I yelled pouring all my fury into every swipe and swing. I lashed out at the vampire with everything I had. My sword left emerald arcs burning in the air. I scored a series of hits on the vampire leaving deep cuts that would’ve put any normal person in a casket. I finished my hangtime kata with a tornado kick, launching the vampire to the asphalt.

His body collided with the parking lot. Black slabs exploded into the air as he created a shallow crater with his body.

I landed on one knee, Jade thrown back over my shoulder, like a boss Samurai.

Despite everything he’d been hit with, Jun’ichi still managed to kip-up onto his feet. His eyes burned scarlet and his body evaporated into a red mist only to reappear a few feet away with his claws wrapping around the teen girls neck once more. I had dealt him serious damage and he needed to recharge. Of course, to do that he needed human blood.

But he forgot about the rest of the team. A strong gust of wind from Charice’s wings struck the redhead girl, blowing her out of harm’s way.

“You’re outnumbered leech,” said Nehemiah. “Drop the girl.”

“Am I outnumbered?” asked the vampire.

And that’s when I the red-eyed security guard and the teenage boy rose up and rushed us.