Blue Beetle strutted down the street like he owned half of New York, throwing cash around with the smugness of a lottery winner who never learned math.
"Yo! Buddy, lend us some spending money," a voice snarled.
Three tattooed thugs stepped in front of him. Knives spun between their fingers, catching the light. Pedestrians scattered instantly; nobody wanted to be featured on tonight's crime-scene report.
Before Blue Beetle could even blink, one of the thugs yanked his backpack open.
"Listen up, kid," the man sneered. "We don't want to kill you. We just want your money."
The other two smirked like they'd already divvied up his bank account.
Then a scream tore the air.
The first thug convulsed and collapsed, eyes rolling back. The other two froze, stunned.
Blue Beetle clicked his tongue. "Tsk. Looks like your buddy's luck stat rolled a natural zero."
"You brat!" The remaining two lunged forward, blades flashing.
Blue Beetle didn't move. His eyes sharpened, the air around him turning sharp enough to cut.
They didn't notice. All they saw was a "rich mark," and greed had already eaten their brains.
The knives were inches from his torso when Blue Beetle casually caught both wrists, twisted, and redirected the blades toward their chests.
"WAIT—NO! We were wrong! Please don't—!"
The two thugs dissolved into sobbing puddles, crying like their souls had been evicted.
Blue Beetle's expression darkened. "Disgusting. How do roaches like you keep surviving?"
He raised the knife—
A sharp sting hit his hand.
"WHAT—? A bug bit me?!"
A tiny black insect buzzed in front of him. Blue Beetle recoiled violently, face twisting with rage. The two thugs promptly fainted in relief.
"You coward! Attacking me from the shadows?!"
"Heh. Shadow attack? Relax. That was me preventing you from murdering people in broad daylight."
"And I'm the eyewitness," came a cheerful voice.
Ryuuto dropped from above, landing smoothly with Katie Dee hanging onto his back. Both wore matching smug grins.
He recalled the bug with a flick.
"Katie, check it out. Cute little guy, right? Look at those big eyes."
"It's adorable! Ryuuto-nii, did you raise this bug? How come I've never seen it?"
Ryuuto stroked his chin dramatically. "This one comes from… a special world. Big firepower despite the small size."
"Hmph!" Blue Beetle snapped. "Are you done flirting? You sent those punks, didn't you?!"
"Dude, we don't even know those guys," Ryuuto replied. "But you definitely shouldn't kill them. There's a thing called law."
Katie Dee stomped forward, waving her tiny fist. "Yeah! Only the government gets to punish criminals like that!"
Blue Beetle laughed coldly. "The government? Don't make me sick. Peace only comes when scum like that are erased."
"That mindset," Ryuuto sighed, "is exactly why you need a beating. Step aside, Katie."
He flicked his fingers. A swarm of insects materialized around him, buzzing like a storm.
"Arrogant pests," Blue Beetle snarled. His body shifted, transforming into a dark-blue armored state as he charged.
"Ryuuto-nii! Teach him a lesson!"
"Already on it."
Secret Technique: Insect Wall!
A torrent of beetles surged out, wrapping around Blue Beetle like a living cage. The swarm drained his energy, devouring it bit by bit.
Blue Beetle slammed against the barrier, but it didn't budge. The harder he pushed, the tighter it constricted. Sweat poured down his back as panic crept in.
"Impossible… YOU BRAT!"
Ryuuto tilted his head, voice casual. "Be grateful. I'm only warming up."