Battling the Spider-Demon

Even the bravest of mortals quailed before the wrath of night goblins, as shown by a tale of ancient Japan. In that country there lived a nobleman named Raiko, who boldly undertook to rid the city of Kyoto of its demons. Retaliation by the fiends of darkness was swift. A wasting fever struck the hero. For many days and nights he lay in his chamber, guarded by companions but assailed by sick fancies. And on a night a-swarm with dreams, the visions gathered solid form. Raiko awoke and found himself chained to his pallet by countless silken filaments. Above him waved many-jointed, bristling legs. Huge eyes glittered. Raiko had become a spider’s prey.

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