Chapter 153

Herman stared down at Erica's lifeless body, her wide-open eyes frozen in death. Fury consumed him. He kicked the chair aside and stepped into Andrew's path.

"Step aside, or you'll meet the same fate," Andrew warned, his voice low.

Herman bristled. "You arrogant child! How dare you disrespect me?" He snarled, "Do you know who I am? I'm an elder of the Crimson Alliance. Surrender now, or even if you kill the Maddens, our clan will hunt you to the ends of the earth."

"He's right, Andrew!" Tony interjected, a sudden flicker of hope in his voice. "Touch me, and the Crimson Alliance will never stop hunting you. They're the force behind East Side's power!"

Andrew shook his head dismissively. "The Crimson Alliance? Should I be impressed? I don't keep track of every minor martial arts organization."

Herman smirked. "Our clan ranks among the top five in Jayrodale and Gabo Creek. If you haven't heard of us...well, it shows you're nothing but a lucky street fighter. Killing you won't be a problem."

"Mr. Blackwood, finish him!" Tony urged, fear evident in his voice. "Take him down, and East Side will pay the Crimson Alliance an extra 300 million dollars annually!"

Herman smirked arrogantly. "Consider yourself honored. My personal intervention means your death will be memorable."

With a thunderous shout, his hair and beard bristling, he launched a double-palm strike at Andrew.

Andrew's eyes flashed coldly as his fists met Herman's attack head-on. The impact created a massive shockwave.

As their forces clashed, Herman's face turned blood-red, his body trembling. He gasped, "You...you possess such immense power!"

Andrew's lips curled into a mocking smirk as the remnants of his shirt fell away, revealing his muscular physique and a dark, menacing tattoo of a black dragon with red eyes coiled across his chest.

"The Blood-Eyed Black Dragon tattoo...impossible!" Herman coughed up blood, barely noticing. His finger trembled as he pointed at Andrew's chest, his body shaking with fear and awe. "Forgive me...I was blind to your true status. I didn't recognize you as a member of the royal lineage!"

Tony watched in disbelief as Herman, East Side's strongest martial artist and the pride of the Crimson Alliance, dropped to his knees before Andrew and began frantically slapping himself. Each smack echoed through the room, blood flowing from his cheeks, yet he showed no sign of stopping.

"Mr. Blackwood, what are you doing? Have you lost your mind?" Tony screamed, grabbing Herman's arm desperately. "Get up and kill him! Kill him now!"