Rising from the Ashes (Andrew) novel Chapter 2640

Andrew's hair began to lift even though there was no wind. Beneath those strands, his eyes slowly turned crimson without him realizing it.

At that moment, Andrew looked like a raging beast on the edge of losing control. He said, "I gave you a chance. I even tried to convince myself that our old friendship was reason enough to hold back. But it seems you really don't know when to quit.

"You honestly think you're here to play judge and jury, to punish me? No. To me, you're nothing but a man trapped in the past: weak, cowardly, and completely useless."

Conrad's face twisted with fury. "You bastard! What did you just say?"

The red light in Andrew's eyes flared. "I said you're pathetic. A coward, through and through!"

The moment he spoke, Luna and the others froze in horror.

Andrew tilted his head to dodge Conrad's killing strike, then locked his arms around Conrad's neck.

In an instant, the two of them crashed sideways into the steel wall.

The impact thundered across the room. The reinforced wall of the arena actually broke apart, sending both of them tumbling through the hole.

They grappled midair as they fell, twisting and struggling.

Conrad's face was covered in blood, one hand buried deep in Andrew's flesh. Yet, Andrew did not even flinch as if he could not feel pain anymore.

He tightened his grip around Conrad's neck and shoved his head down, ignoring the man's screams.

Then, they crashed from the twelfth floor straight into the plaza below. Everyone froze, eyes wide in disbelief.

The crowd in the square, most of them unaware of what was happening, stopped in their tracks as dust spread. In the middle of a newly formed crater lay two bodies.

Andrew on top, Conrad beneath him.

Andrew's chest had a gaping, bloody hole. However, his eyes showed no trace of emotion, not even pain or anger.

Conrad coughed violently, blood splattering from his lips as he glared up from the pit. "This is your usual trick, isn't it? Play weak at first, then strike when no one expects it. Deceitful as always. That's what you really are inside."

Andrew's response was a brutal punch straight to Conrad's mouth. Blood sprayed as Conrad's lips split open, revealing half-shattered teeth and a mangled jaw.

The pain was excruciating, yet he refused to scream.

He rasped, "Andrew, today, it's either you or me. Only one of us walks away."

He swung his knee up, smashing it into Andrew's ribs with a crack.

Andrew's body jerked as several ribs broke, blood seeping through his shirt.

Conrad's heart leapt, thinking this was his chance. Now it was just a matter of who would endure the pain longer, who would break first.