Rising from the Ashes (Andrew) novel Chapter 2637

Conrad stood tall, facing Andrew at an angle like a judge delivering a sentence. He raised his voice and said, "Well? Are you convinced now? Have you realized your place?"

A low laugh echoed from the corner where Andrew stood. He did not say much, just wiped the blood off his mouth and gestured.

"Come on, again!"

Conrad frowned. "I hope you can hold out a little longer. I don't want to finish you off too quickly, because if I do, all the anger I've held in for years won't get the release it deserves."

Andrew did not reply. He charged forward and attacked again. Soon, they were locked in another fierce exchange.

Isabelle's voice turned cold. "Conrad's hitting too hard."

This time, Valerie did not argue with her. "Both of them are fighting for real. So it doesn't matter who's hitting harder. It's just that Andrew's at a disadvantage, and Conrad looks a notch stronger."

Luna shook her head, though. "That's not it."

She looked conflicted as she watched Andrew attacking with clenched teeth and vicious determination. She murmured, "I imagine he's using this to force Conrad to strike without holding back. At the end of the day, Conrad still doesn't understand Andrew's intentions. Andrew has never used his full strength."

She added, "I can tell, without needing a reason. But I don't understand why… Why is he still holding back, even now? Why does he sound fierce, but his strikes are still pulling back?"

…

Inside the military headquarters, Philip's initial look of disdain slowly faded as he became focused on the live broadcast displayed on the big screen. He saw Conrad thrust his palm forward with full force, slamming it straight into Andrew's chest.

A loud bang exploded across the hall.

The water glass in Philip's hand shattered as he crushed it with his bare grip.

Jose stood with his arms crossed. Originally, he had had zero interest in this match because he was at the pre-martial god level, the fifth realm of martial emperor. Watching this kind of duel was far too boring and bland for him.

However, seeing Guillermo so enthusiastically interested, he could not help but move closer and watch along.

After watching for a bit, Jose snorted coldly. "What's this supposed to be? With Andrew's strength, he could have easily killed Conrad, but right now…"

Guillermo smiled. "What? You think something's wrong?"

Jose said coldly, "I just want to know why Andrew hasn't used his full strength even now. Someone like Conrad can't see through Andrew's true capabilities, but that doesn't mean we can't. Andrew is clearly suppressing himself and helping Conrad look good!"

Guillermo's eyes gleamed with intrigue as he sneered. "To understand this, we have to start with why he left the organization. It was a den of killers, a playground for bloodshed. The fall of the Iron Cavalry wasn't his fault, but he insisted on taking all the blame himself. He's been carrying the weight of every life lost alone. Can he handle that? Well, no one could, not even someone like Philip."

He continued, "And now, the aftermath of that guilt is showing. In the end, it's a weakness. Even though he's strong enough to crush Conrad, even though he has the power to turn the tables completely, he just can't bring himself to use it."