The Light of Justice adjusted his glasses and let out a slow sigh, looking at the destruction around him.
"Guess I'm getting home late tonight."
The beetle commander stepped forward, its sharp claws scraping against the shattered ground as it looked Anthony up and down. A low, mocking laugh escaped its mouth.
"Who are you? Another weak insect pretending to be strong?"
Anthony rolled his shoulders and smiled calmly. "Oh! I almost forgot my manners. I am one of the Light of Justice… Anthony the Hulk."
The commander raised an arm without another word.
In response, thousands of beetles rushed forward at once, their screeches echoing as they flooded the battlefield like a black wave. Any normal person would have panicked at the sight—but Anthony remained perfectly calm, standing still as if nothing was wrong.
When the beetles finally reached him, his body suddenly blurred.
A violent storm of punches exploded from Anthony's fists. Each strike was precise and devastating, crushing multiple beetles at once. Bodies were torn apart, shells shattered, and limbs scattered across the ground. What was once an army quickly became a field of broken remains.
The surviving beetles hesitated, fear spreading through their ranks.
Anthony didn't give them time to recover. Using his speed, he weaved through the remaining enemies and headed straight toward the commander. In an instant, he appeared right in front of it.
The commander reacted immediately, forming a glowing shield around its body, confident that it would be enough.
It wasn't.
Anthony's fist smashed through the shield like fragile glass. Before the commander could escape, Anthony grabbed it by the throat and slammed it into the ground with overwhelming force, cracking the earth beneath them.
Meanwhile…
Jake sat quietly on a chair inside a dark, silent room, patiently waiting for Kenji to return. His mind was deep in thought, and the stillness around him felt strangely heavy.
Then the silence broke.
A faint dragging sound echoed through the building.
Tap… scratch… drag…
Jake's body tensed instantly. Something was nearby.
The door slowly creaked open, and a beetle stepped inside, moving carefully as its antenna twitched. It sniffed the air, its eyes scanning the room.
"I smell… human," the beetle whispered.
Jake held his breath, hiding behind a stack of old boxes. He didn't move an inch, afraid that even the smallest sound would give him away.
The beetle suddenly stopped.
Its gaze locked onto Jake's hiding place.
Slowly, it began walking closer. Then, without warning, it raised its claws and tore the boxes apart, sending pieces flying across the room and revealing Jake behind them.
"Yummy human… I found you," the beetle said with a twisted grin.
In the next moment, it rushed forward. Jake barely managed to dodge the attack, but the wall behind him exploded from the impact.
"Yummy human, let me eat you," the beetle said coldly.
Before Jake could react again, the beetle lunged and bit into his arm, injecting poison directly into his body.
"This poison will slowly kill you."
Jake felt his strength fading. His vision blurred, and his legs grew weak as the poison spread. He could barely stay on his feet, convinced that this was the end.
But then—something changed.
The pain disappeared.The weakness vanished.
Instead, an overwhelming excitement surged through his body. A dark, heavy aura burst out around him, filling the room with an oppressive presence. It felt as if something ancient and terrifying had awakened.
Even the beetle began trembling in fear.
Jake slowly lifted his head, a faint smile forming on his face as his eyes glowed with a frightening light.
"It seems… that I have finally awakened."
Meanwhile in Adrian's house...
"Planet Beetle."
The words echoed in Adrian's mind as the creature standing before him smiled with his father's face. Something felt horribly wrong. The way it stood, the way it spoke—this wasn't his dad.
Adrian's fists clenched as the realization finally hit him.
This thing isn't my father.
Rage surged through his body.
"How dare you!" Adrian shouted.
Before the beetle could react, Adrian stepped forward and threw a powerful punch straight into its face. The impact was instant and brutal. The creature's body shattered, its disguise fading as it collapsed lifelessly onto the floor.
The room fell silent.
Adrian stood there, breathing heavily, his body shaking from exhaustion. His stamina was drained, and his muscles screamed in pain—but he didn't allow himself to rest. Not now.
He quickly scanned the house, panic rising in his chest.
"Mom… Dad…?" he called out, moving from room to room.
No response.
After searching the entire house, the truth became clear. His parents weren't there.
Fear replaced his anger.
Without wasting another second, Adrian rushed outside, his eyes scanning the streets as he began searching desperately for them. His exhaustion didn't matter anymore. The only thing that mattered was finding his parents—before it was too late.