Baddie Distribution System

Monk was equally surprised to see Riley still standing, his thick eyebrows furrowing in disbelief.

"I'll end this now," Monk said, and in the next moment, he commanded two hands of the statue, raising them high into the air, palms wide open, like someone about to squash a fly.

"You... bastard. I refuse to lose~" Riley muttered, her bloodied face strained as she stretched her palm forward.

"Fireball~" she whispered softly, almost breathlessly.

"NO!!!" Old man Manor suddenly shouted, casting a powerful spell that encased Monk in a thick bubble. Two more layers of barriers instantly enveloped the ring.

A tiny spark ignited from Riley's palm and the next moment—

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!*

A massive explosion of fire erupted from her hand, engulfing the entire arena. The shockwave shook the entire structure violently, it was so intense, an ordinary building would've collapsed instantly.

Dapper rushed forward to the front row, just a few feet from the blazing ring. Even old man Manor stood tensely before the barrier, worry etched deep into his face.

After a few tense minutes, the raging fire began to die down. Manor lowered the barriers, but smoke flooded the facility. With a flick of his hand, he cast a spell that cleared it instantly.

That's when Dapper saw Riley, levitating just above the ground, her eyes closed, her body glowing with a strange golden hue. Her red hair swayed softly in the air as though it had a life of its own.

Without hesitation, Dapper rushed into the ring and scooped her into his arms. The moment he touched her, the glow around her faded, and her hair returned to normal. He quickly realized she had passed out but what shocked him most was that all her wounds had completely vanished.

Just as he turned slightly, he saw old man Manor standing behind him, his hands tucked behind his back.

"That was her true power, unrestricted. A monster like her... If she hadn't fainted, it would've gone out of control, or worse, killed him," Manor said, nodding toward Monk.

Dapper turned and saw Monk, still curled up within the magical bubble, unconscious. A moment later, Manor signaled to the students, and Monk was carefully carried away.

Dapper still held Riley tightly in his arms, ignoring the other class A students who came over offering to carry her. After that display of strength, Riley had instantly become one of the class goddesses, someone everyone wanted to be close to.

"Fucking jerk."

"A trash like you doesn't deserve someone of her level."

"I bet she's going to dump your ass and date a real guy."

Dapper ignored the snide remarks as he made his way to the back of the classroom, standing quietly beside Shinro. Shinro, without a word, helped block off people trying to forcefully take Riley. They all kept their distance, intimidated by how Shinro had fought before, especially how he had slashed Ebat's neck before impaling him with ice spikes. Rumors were already spreading that he was a fake Mage using brutal, underhanded tactics.

"The winner of this round is Riley!" Manor's voice boomed, followed by a thunderous cheer erupting from class A.

"Shinro... you're surprised at how fast people flip, aren't you?" Dapper muttered.

Shinro silently nodded.

"It's crazy. Everyone suddenly wants to be Riley's friend. It's sad... I just hope she doesn't start trusting these fake people," Shinro said, clenching his fists. He had also gotten a taste of fame earlier, a few first-years had approached him, wanting to be friends.

"That's human nature. I remember Riley once told me that no girl wanted to be her friend because of how meek and nerdy she looked. The boys, on the other hand, either wanted her or tried to take advantage of her naivety, just like what happened in the dungeon. She said we were her only true friends. Shinro, Riley holds you in high regard and genuinely cares about you as a friend. Ignore how she often talks to you anyhow, she's just putting up a front. Riley is really lonely. The only people she still hangs out with and who treat her kindly are her fellow disciples in the upper class," Dapper said.

"I know that too, Dapper. That's why I never get upset when she acts like that. I remember one time I decided not to talk to her for a whole day, she nearly cried and apologized like a hundred times. It was hilarious," Shinro said, laughing hysterically at the memory.

Dapper chuckled too, but suddenly froze when he heard his name called out.

"The next match is Arthur versus Dapper!"

"You've got to be kidding me. Am I also going to fight the guy from the dungeon, just like you?" Dapper asked, turning toward Shinro, who also had a stunned expression. Both stared as the familiar swordsman from the dungeon approached the ring.

"What the holy bearded balls…" Dapper muttered, handing the still-sleeping Riley to Shinro.

As Dapper entered the ring, he saw the blonde-haired boy in silver armor, smiling.

"Hey, do you remember me? My name's Arthur," the boy said, waving from the opposite side of the ring.

"What the hell, are you trying to make me drop my guard? Won't work but nice try," Dapper replied, bracing himself as he waited for Manor to start the match.

"Ah, I guess you're still mad about that day. Honestly, it wasn't all my fault, I got swayed into joining them, and I still feel like crap about it. Since she's your girlfriend, I wanted to ask for her forgiveness through you. She avoids me every time she sees me. Also, your swordsmanship, I would like to experience it again," Arthur said, smiling as he unsheathed his dual swords.

'Wait, isn't he supposed to be here for revenge? What's going on? Still, I won't lower my guard. Lily already warned me about fighting like a Combatant and using Sprint, that speed-boost skill. It's not something a mage of my caliber should have. I can't risk being exposed. If Lily noticed, then others can too.' Dapper thought.

"The match begins now!"

Immediately, Arthur crossed his swords into an X-shape. His right foot slid back, toes planted, while his left foot stood firm, knee bent slightly forward.

"Why aren't you drawing your swords?" Arthur asked, noticing Dapper just standing still.

"Uh, sword? I'm a mage, dude," Dapper shrugged. Arthur immediately dashed forward, swinging his dual swords downward in a sharp X pattern.

*Cha-Ching!*

Right before Arthur's eyes, Dapper summoned a shield, blocking the strike at the last moment.

"Fireball!" Dapper muttered, and instantly, a blazing orb shot forward, exploding near Arthur's face. But Arthur leapt back just in time. Oddly, Dapper noticed a green glow radiating from him, his slightly burnt skin regenerating rapidly from the heat.

'What a letdown… I only have one attack spell, Fireball. Looks like he can heal after taking damage. I still don't know how his power works apart from swordsmanship. His ability must be linked to his blades. That healing seems gear-related. He didn't have that last time we fought,' Dapper thought, but he still couldn't fully grasp it. Arthur was skilled with the sword, yet hadn't shown any extraordinary ability either time they clashed.

'This guy… why's he not using a sword again? And that damn shield, cunning as always, pulling tricks at the last second. I've trained my sword sense since our last battle. Time to use it,' Arthur also thought, then slid one of his blades into its sheath.

"I'm going all out. Don't blame me," Arthur said, lifting his curved one-handed blade and raising it straight in front of him.

'He's about to use his ability. But why switch to just one sword? Don't tell me… he's better with one sword?' Dapper's eyes widened. Before he could blink, Arthur flashed in front of him, swinging his blade in a sharp backward arc.

Dapper reflexively raised his shield but Arthur's sword cleaved straight through it, slicing clean across Dapper's chest like it was butter.

Dapper ducked the follow-up strikes just in time and leapt far back from Arthur's range.

'What the hell?' Dapper looked down. Blood was squirting from a deep slash across his chest. Had he not ducked, it could've been fatal.

A vial materialized in his hand, and he chugged it in one gulp. His wounds began to close rapidly as the potion kicked in.

"Why?! Why won't you fight me properly?! Are you mocking me?!" Arthur shouted, clearly enraged, charging again. He was lightning fast, but this time Dapper was ready, he ducked every strike cleanly.

'He's slowing down. At this pace, no one will win.' Dapper thought, then without hesitation, started firing spells in rapid succession.

"Fireball."

"Fireball."

"Fireball."

"Fireball."

"Fireball."

*BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.*

Explosions rang across the ring as Arthur shifted into full defense, yet still got caught in the barrage and scorched by several bursts.

'I knew it. He's using some sort of healing gear. His real ability is sharpening his blade to slice through nearly anything. What I don't know is whether it works with any weapon or if it's limited to swords,' Dapper thought.

"Screw it! If you won't fight seriously, I'll end it myself!" Arthur yelled furiously. He burst forward again, slashing Dapper twice across the chest in a vicious diagonal cross.