OVERCONFIDENCE

The demon introduces himself as Rendez, explaining that his abilities cannot absorb demon magic directly, thus he relies on the limited natural resources of the realm for his magical sustenance. However, with Runica's arrival, he now has access to a new source of magic. Rendez demonstrates his power by effortlessly restoring the three magic circles that Runica had previously destroyed. Examining Runica closely, Rendez remarks that perhaps with another century of training, Runica might have been capable of destroying the demon realm. However, he criticizes Runica for rushing and displaying overconfidence. Placing his hand on Runica's head, Rendez begins to absorb his magic, noting that Runica's magical reservoir seems nearly endless, indicating that the process may take some time.

Runica tremulously reaches out and clasps Rendez's hand, asserting that he refuses to meet his end in this manner, adamant that he embodies the essence of a true Nara determined to save his entire clan. Suddenly, Runica's magic staff, now in Rendez's grasp, begins to convulse violently, while his butcher blade emerges from the ground and hurtles toward Rendez. However, several knight demons intercept the airborne blade, securing it in place. Rendez dismisses Runica's resistance as futile, predicting the eventual triumph of the demons and their acquisition of the power that humans once took from them. Realizing his imminent demise and feeling helpless, Runica cries out for assistance, overwhelmed by the fear of perishing in such a cowardly manner. Suddenly, in that crucial moment, a magical beam strikes Rendez, sending him reeling. Runica slowly rises to witness Alice unleashing magical beams from her wand at the demon knights.

As the demon knights charge toward her, the dragon intervenes, breathing fire and incinerating them. With panic gripping him, Runica crawls toward Alice. However, his relief is short-lived as he observes Rendez approaching with a malevolent smile, declaring that he now has more magic to absorb. In response, Runica warns of the demon's ability to absorb magic. Alice promptly employs her magic, hurling large rocks from the ground at Rendez, who shields himself with a magical barrier. Seizing the opportunity, the dragon strikes Rendez with its tail, sending him sprawling. In retaliation, Rendez unleashes a barrage of magic beams at the dragon, resulting in numerous explosions. Alissa and Team B join the fray, assisting Runica as they launch a barrage of large rocks at Rendez, burying him beneath a mound of rubble. Sensing the urgency, Alissa orders a quick retreat. However, before they can escape, the mound of rocks erupts with magical energy as Rendez charges forth, enveloped in a shroud of magic, striking the dragon and sending it hurtling into the distance.

With a sinister laugh, Rendez employs his magic to summon a colossal magical hand that seizes everyone in its grasp. Acting quickly, Alissa pushes Runica and Alice out of harm's way just before they are ensnared. Colliding with the ground, Runica and Alice witness Alissa and Team B being drained of their magical energy by Rendez. Alice resigns to the grim reality that they cannot defeat such a formidable demon and suggests retreat. Feeling responsible for the dire situation, Runica summons his butcher blade and expresses his remorse, perceiving a glimmer of hope in Alissa's eyes, urging him to rectify their predicament. Despite the dragon's fiery assault, Rendez conjures yet another massive magical hand, ensnaring the dragon and absorbing its power. Seizing the opportunity, Runica notices that the demon has not detected their presence. Instructing Alice to cast a speed spell on him, Runica assumes a determined stance as magical energy courses through his muscles, imbuing him with incredible swiftness and power. He leaps forward and seizes Rendez by the face, propelling them both high into the air. As a result, the magical hands dissipate, freeing everyone from their grasp. Rendez is taken aback by the depth of strength still harbored by Runica. In response, Runica concedes to Rendez's observation, acknowledging his current inability to destroy the entire demon realm. However, he vows to return to this realm stronger than before. 

Runica hurls Rendez downward, sending him crashing into the ground. Swiftly, before Rendez can react, Runica channels all his power into his butcher blade. His resounding roar reverberates throughout the entire realm as he executes a formidable swing, cleaving Rendez horizontally in twain. In a stunning turn of events, the ground beneath Rendez also splits apart, rending the entire realm asunder. Alissa and the others watch in astonishment as Runica divides the realm with his mighty blow. As the ground parts, Alice glimpses downwards to a boundless crimson sky below, realizing that the demon realm is merely a floating giant island suspended in the air. Meanwhile, Rendez finds himself on the opposite side of the divided island, his portion plummeting downward. Despite his predicament, he chuckles, acknowledging Runica's remarkable prowess as his half of the realm drifts farther away.

Everyone watches as Runica tumbles from the sky, unconscious and passing the half-island where everyone else is standing on. He plunges downwards into the infinite red sky below. Reacting quickly, Alice leaps off the island, hurtling towards Runica in free fall. With the assistance of Team B's magic, they conjure a thread of energy that streaks towards Alice. Grasping the magical thread, Alice accelerates toward Runica, calling out his name in desperation. However, their efforts falter as Team B exhausts their magical reserves, causing the thread to abruptly stop extending. Realizing the situation, Alice releases her grip on the thread. The dragon remarks that the descent may be lengthy and begins to also descend. Observing the plummeting trio from above, Alissa and Team B witness the diminishing figures of the dragon, Alice, and Runica until they become mere specks in the distance. Accepting the situation, Alissa instructs her team to establish a camp and dismantle the magic circles and demons present on their half of the island. With unanimous agreement, the team begins their preparations as Alissa gazes towards the distant other island.

A full month elapses as Alissa and Team B effectively eradicate all the demons on their part of the island and dismantle the three magic circles. After completing their task, they return to the camp near the island's edge. Peering down, Alissa sees only the endless expanse of a red sky below, speculating that they might have perished. She collapses to her knees, overcome with emotions, though her team attempts to uplift her spirits by acknowledging that Runica instilled hope in them and provided a significant head start in their mission to save the world from the demons. Wiping away her tears, Alissa mentions her husband's impending fury upon learning of Alice's demise. In the midst of the somber silence, they suddenly hear the roar of a dragon. Despite scanning the area below, they find no one there. A team member then directs their attention to the other side of the island. Rushing over, they witness the dragon ascending past the Demon's gate situated at the far end of the island. Upon landing, they spot Runica and Alice asleep on the dragon's back.

Another month later, Runica awakens in a tent to the distant sounds of explosions. Upon emerging, he finds Alice grooming her hair in front of a mirror and reminisces about how they first time they met. Exiting the tent after hearing more explosions, he joins Alissa at the island's edge, inquiring about the ongoing situation. Alissa informs him that he has finally emerged from his deep slumber of recovery, prompting Team B to emerge and celebrate his awakening. Perplexed by the explosions on the other island in the distance, Runica questions how long he was asleep, to which Alissa reveals that it has been two months since their arrival. She also informs Runica that his actions have given the Draconic clan a fighting chance against the demon realm, earning him a reward. Turning around, he finds everyone wearing makeshift party hats. Alice emerges from the tent with a birthday cake, and they sing him a belated happy 15th birthday. However, Runica reveals that his birthday occurred three weeks earlier. Everyone facepalms their forehead, Alice explains that they were unable to celebrate during his slumber, but they are now commemorating his awakening with a welcoming and birthday celebration. Moved by the joyous occasion, Runica smiles, remarking that he hasn't experienced such happiness in a long time.

Meanwhile, in the Draconic village, Magnis has bulked up significantly from his rigorous training regimen. He decides to participate in the Brawler tournament, engaging in hand-to-hand combat. Easily advancing through the initial two rounds, he garners cheers from his father Drais, who is stationed in Magnis's corner with a beer in hand. Keto approaches Drais and tells him that he must have a word with him, Drais initially fails to notice him until Magnis returns to his corner and bows. Upon finally acknowledging Keto's presence, Drais reciprocates the gesture, spilling his drink in the process. After discarding the beer in embarrassment, Keto questions that he wants to know more of Runica. Laughing loudly, Drais invites Keto to discuss about it over a drink, suggesting they must enjoy the tournament first, confident that his son will emerge victorious. Curious, Keto question Drais to how Magnis is going to defeat the reigning brawler champion of a decade. Drais, chuckling with overconfidence, asserting that despite Magnis's relative lack of experience, he possesses all the necessary skills to emerge triumphant. Intrigued by this display of confidence, Keto expresses a desire to witness the strength of Runica's closest companion.

The announcer introduces Magnis, followed by his opponent, heralded as the top disciple of the reigning brawler champion, Istom. The crowd erupts in cheers as Drais quickly downs an entire beer can, expressing confidence that this match will be a breeze. Keto interjects, cautioning that Istom is a formidable opponent renowned for his expertise in hand-to-hand combat, being the champion's most accomplished student. He also notes that Magnis, while undoubtedly talented, is still young and may face challenges against such a seasoned adversary. In response, Drais counters that Magnis shares similarities with Runica in terms of innate abilities, possessing an innate knack for adaptation. However, he acknowledges that Magnis' adaptability is limited by the scope of his powers, citing his relative weakness in magic casting as an example. Nevertheless, in the realm of hand-to-hand combat, Drais asserts that Magnis thrives, showcasing a remarkable ability to adapt to various circumstances.

The match commences as the announcer signals the start, prompting Istom and Magnis to cautiously walk around the arena, poised to anticipate each other's moves. Istom initiates the action with a jab, aiming to close the distance and obstruct Magnis's line of sight, before transitioning into a double-leg takedown attempt. However, Magnis reacts with remarkable speed, executing a sprawl to stop Istom's takedown attempt, causing a slight tremor in the arena. Keto expresses astonishment at Magnis's ability to stop Istom's takedown, remarking on the surprising agility of the young combatant. In response, Drais reveals that they had meticulously analyzed Istom's previous bouts in the tournament, enabling them to devise strategies to counter his takedown techniques. Nevertheless, Keto acknowledges the exceptional skill required to successfully counter Istom's takedown attempts, noting that it is no easy task even with prior knowledge of his techniques that no ordinary man can really match Istom. 

Magnis creates distance between himself and Istom, prompting both fighters to ready up their fighting stances again. Istom attempts to obstruct Magnis's vision once more with a jab before launching a head kick. However, Magnis adeptly evades the incoming strike by ducking and quickly seizes Istom from behind, pinning them against the arena wall. Capitalizing on this advantage, Magnis trips Istom to force them onto their knees, delivering a flurry of punches to Istom's face. Istom finds it challenging to defend against Magnis's unexpected display of strength. Upon rising to their feet, they engage in a clinch, during which Magnis lands several knee strikes to Istom's body while Istom retaliates with an elbow strike to Magnis's head, creating distance between them. In a split second, Istom lunges for a single-leg takedown, managing to secure Magnis's leg. However, as they descend, Magnis executes a backward roll, leveraging momentum to lift Istom over and position himself on top in full mount, raining heavy elbows onto Istom's head. 

Magnis employs his legs to ensnare Istom in a head triangle and rolls onto his back, aiming to utilize the head triangle to choke out Istom. Istom, struggling to draw breath, summons all his strength to hoist Magnis into the air and forcefully slam him onto the ground, causing the earth beneath them to fracture. This impact loosens the grip of Magnis's head triangle, enabling Istom to break free. Seizing the opportunity, Istom launches a barrage of punches at Magnis's head, who absorbs several blows before using his leg to push Istom away. Just as Magnis rises to his feet, Istom initiates another takedown attempt. Anticipating Istom's move, Magnis delivers a precise uppercut to Istom's jaw, causing his brain to rattle. With Istom staggered, Magnis propels him away and lands a punishing knee strike to Istom's body, inducing considerable pain and causing him to collapse onto his back. Capitalizing on Istom's vulnerability, Magnis unleashes a relentless flurry of punches to his head, rendering him unconscious. The announcer then declares Magnis the victor, much to everyone's surprise.

Keto applauds, expressing his newfound interest in witnessing Magnis face off against the champion. Drais chimes in, noting the champion's strength but emphasizing their strategy to capitalize on any mistakes. The crowd erupts in cheers as the champion descends the arena stairs, staring at Magnis with a menacing glare. In response, Magnis flexes his impressive muscles, emboldened by Drais's enthusiastic encouragement to demonstrate fearlessness. The announcer announces a two-hour countdown to the final match, but Tobey, the champion, seizes the moment, grabbing the mic to introduce himself and propose an immediate showdown, noting Magnis's apparent readiness. With a smile, Magnis rises to the challenge with his battle stance, prompting cheers from the crowd. The announcer quickly resumes control of the mic, declaring that the final match will commence immediately. Tobey enters the arena exuding a formidable aura. 

The announcer initiates the match, prompting Tobey to quickly close the distance, surprising everyone with his speed. Tobey, flashing a smile, remarks on Magnis's composure, noting that most would have flinched by now. He extends an invitation for Magnis to make the first move. In response, Magnis throws a right hand, but Tobey deftly evades. Magnis follows up with a flurry of punches and kicks, but Tobey effortlessly dodges and blocks each strike. Tobey comments that while Istom may be his top student, he's limited to a single fighting style, whereas Tobey himself has mastered multiple hand-to-hand combat styles. Tobey's eyes widen in anger as Magnis quickly leaps backward, evading the imminent danger. Tobey acknowledges Magnis's ability to anticipate his attacks before even throwing them, expressing his admiration. He concedes that he must conceal his intentions more effectively going forward, declaring that the true battle starts now.