Baddie Distribution System

"Hahahaha!" Suddenly, Manor burst into laughter, clapping his hands enthusiastically, leaving everyone stunned.

"Romulus Trikarstian… I've heard you're Digos' disciple. You've truly exceeded my expectations. I haven't felt this pleased in years. The way you challenged my claims…" he said before raising his voice. "Actually, he's right, everyone!"

His words only added to the confusion.

"I told a small lie on purpose, just to see if anyone would stand up and challenge me. And Romulus didn't disappoint. However, you did make a slight mistake when you said Combatants have existed as long as intelligent life. That's not true. All three branches—Combat, Magic, and Craft, have always coexisted. In fact, it's nearly impossible to disrupt the balance. Even if one branch collapses, the others can only handle basic tasks like small-scale farming or making simple tools. But that's all. The system prevents one class from fully overtaking another's role. Order and balance must exist, or the world would descend into chaos. So, Romulus, you were ninety-nine percent correct," Manor concluded.

"Thank you, teacher. And I apologize for the rudeness," Romulus said with a respectful bow.

"Oi, I knew you only said that out of emotion. No need to worry," Old Man Manor waved it off casually.

'Trikarstian… I've definitely heard that name somewhere before. But where? Also, he's a Combat-type system user, the guy who won that race… I wonder what his power is,' Dapper thought. But just then, he felt someone aggressively tapping his shoulder.

Turning around, Dapper saw Jack towering slightly above him. Though Dapper was tall for his age, Jack was clearly on another level.

Seeing it was Jack, Dapper didn't feel the same fear he used to. It was getting exhausting being picked on constantly.

"Hey, Dapper. You've been hiding like the rat you are since the last time I saw you in the dungeon. I've missed punching that pretty face of yours back at school," Jack sneered with a wide grin. The students around Dapper stepped away. Jack's reputation as a bully preceded him. Only Riley remained at Dapper's side. She wanted to follow Shinro's advice but also wanted to support her boyfriend.

"What do you want from him?! Leave him alone! He hasn't done anything to you," Riley snapped, drawing Jack's sharp gaze.

"Didn't I warn you last time? Do you want to become the boys' new fuck toilet?" Jack's grin twisted into something darker, causing Riley to flinch but she didn't move away.

"Riley, stay out of this," Dapper said suddenly, gently pushing her behind him before stepping forward, hands in his pockets.

"If you lay a finger on my friends, I'll kill you, Jack," Dapper said coldly, his voice flat as a wave of bloodlust burst from him.

'What the hell is this feeling again? It's happening! But I'm stronger than him!' Jack panicked, a drop of sweat rolling down his forehead.

"You bastard! I'll rip out your eyes!" Jack roared and lunged forward in fury but Dapper moved faster, spinning and landing a roundhouse kick square on Jack's nose. Blood sprayed from the impact.

"ARGH!!" Jack screamed, clutching his face in agony as tears streamed down from the sheer pain.

'So that's it? His weakness? I knew he couldn't reinforce every part of his body at once. Some areas would remain vulnerable. He'll probably harden his face after this, but it's good to know he always has a weak spot. The question is, how do I handle him now?'

"YOU BASTARD! I'LL KILL YOU!!" Jack bellowed, rising to his feet with his face bloodied. He swung a fist at Dapper, and Dapper could see the air ripple from the sheer force.

'Shit. I can't let that hit me,' Dapper thought with alarm, preparing to dodge.

"STOP!" Old Man Manor's voice echoed through the classroom. Jack froze, then quickly clutched his face again and started sobbing dramatically.

"Teacher! I didn't do anything! He kicked me in the face! He bullied me for no reason!" Jack whimpered as tears mixed with blood, putting on a pitiful act. Manor had already closed the distance as the students made way for him.

"Is that true?" Manor asked, his gaze fixed on Dapper, who remained surprisingly composed.

"That's not true. He attacked me first. He's always bullied me. I just got tired of it and decided to fight back. I'm sorry," Dapper replied, giving a slight bow.

"That's not true, teacher, he—"

"Shut up!" Manor snapped, his expression turning grim. "Do you think I'm a fool? I saw everything happening in the back. You provoked him for no reason and tried to strike, but he was quicker. On a normal day, I would punish both of you. But I'm in a good mood today. Let this be the last time either of you causes a scene during my class. If you're being bullied during a class, report it properly."

Dapper and Jack both bowed.

"We're sorry."

"Good. It's shameful for an elite soldier to bully a fellow soldier. What if the person you harass today is the one who saves your life in a real battle? Don't let personal grudges cost you your future. Your records will be reviewed during the final exams before graduation," Manor warned, turning back toward his seat.

"As I was saying earlier, there will be a duel between Class A and Class B. I already have your names," Manor continued. In the next moment, a large spherical machine appeared on his table, seemingly pulled from his space ring. The upper half was made of transparent glass, while the metallic base made up about thirty percent of its bulk.

"This device is quite old. You might not recognize it, but it functions just like your modern selection tools. It'll randomly pick a student from each class and pair them fairly," Manor said as he clicked a button on the machine.

Many students were confused as to why Manor used such an outdated device when newer, more advanced ones were available.

Neon-colored lights flickered from within as the sphere glowed. A moment later, colored letters began spinning and flashing inside.

"Jack vs Genpo," Manor announced.

Jack stepped into the ring alongside another burly student, almost matching his height. Though Jack was still noticeably larger, the difference between him and Genpo wasn't as vast. Genpo looked more like a combatant than a mage, but Dapper noticed something.

'So that's why the old man used that outdated device? It doesn't just pair names, it must factor in things like weight class, height, and combat specialty. If that's true… then was our performance in the dungeon recorded too?'

Genpo and Jack stood at opposite ends of the ring. Jack wore a deep frown. The last opponent he expected was someone close to his own size, he had hoped for someone smaller to bully. But then a smirk spread across his face.

"It's pointless having such a huge body. You're still a mage at the end of the day," Jack mocked, his eyes narrowing.

Genpo didn't reply, his face completely unreadable. His silence only fueled Jack's irritation.

"The match begins now!" Old Man Manor's voice echoed, and in a flash, a translucent barrier enveloped the ring.

The moment the barrier sealed, Genpo lunged forward at full speed, catching Jack off guard. Still, Jack recovered quickly and rushed in too.

"Idiot! Charging instead of casting your spell?" Jack barked while running. He had learned a valuable lesson from his fight with Dapper, who had exposed a flaw he'd long ignored. Clearly, Genpo was aiming to exploit that same weakness.

'Falling for my trap, huh?' Jack grinned, purposely exposing his face and raising his fist to counter.

As they closed in, Genpo pushed his speed even higher, throwing everything into one decisive move.

'I'll land it.' Genpo steeled himself and swung a powerful punch at Jack's face, roaring, "Fireball!"

POOOOW!!

A fiery blast erupted from Genpo's fist, engulfing Jack's head. The smoke consumed the ring, blinding the spectators from seeing the result.

But Dapper already knew how it would end.

'Tch… idiot. Trying to use the same trick I did. Maybe he doesn't know Jack as well as I do. I studied him. Even then, I doubt I could pull it off again, not in my current state.'

As the smoke cleared, both fighters came into view. Genpo looked horrified. His hand, the one he used to punch was mangled, his bones shattered like glass. It was like he had struck solid steel. Jack, meanwhile, stood unharmed, not even a scratch on his face despite taking a fireball point-blank.

Blood spilled from Genpo's ruined hand as he stumbled back, his face pale.

"W-What are you…?" Genpo muttered, fear creeping into his voice.

"What am I? After all that, huh?" Jack replied, sneering. "You think you're Dapper? Maybe he studied me and struck smart. But you're not him, you're just a delusional prick."

Jack cocked his arm back, winding up.

"Wait, plea—"

*BAM!*

His punch connected squarely with Genpo's face, sending him flying across the ring. Genpo was instantly knocked out, his face twisted and disfigured beyond recognition.

At once, the barrier dissolved, and Jack casually strolled out of the ring, one hand in his pocket, the other's too thick to fit inside.