"No Turning Back: The Recruits Face Their Destiny"

After three grueling months of training, the time had finally come for Asher and his fellow recruits to face the military's combat test.

The stakes were high, as the results of this test would determine the recruits' future within the military.

As the recruits stood nervously in formation, the instructor in charge announced that one of them would be selected at random to fight against another recruit in front of the others.

The fate of the draw was not kind to Asher, as his name was the one chosen.

Asher's opponent was a teenage boy, a few years older than him, with striking blond hair and piercing blue eyes.

The two stood facing each other, both wielding flexible, hard, and lightweight plastic weapons. Asher had a set of daggers, while the boy carried a plastic sword.

The fight began with a burst of action. The teenage boy charged forward, his sword swinging wildly through the air.

Asher nimbly sidestepped the attack and counterattacked with a quick strike from one of his daggers. The boy was quick to react, twisting his body to avoid the hit and retaliating with a swift strike from his sword.

But Asher was not easily deterred. He gracefully dodged the sword strike and swiftly slashed one of his daggers across the boy's body side.

The boy let out a grunt of pain as Asher retracted his weapon and quickly countered with another strike. The two battled back and forth, their weapons clashing in a rapid exchange of blows.

As the fight wore on, Asher began to tire, his movements slowing just slightly.

The teenage boy saw this and seized the opportunity, launching a fierce attack with his sword.

Asher managed to deflect the strike but was left wide open for a follow-up attack. The boy swung his sword, aiming straight for Asher's chest.

But in a split second, Asher's instincts kicked in.

He quickly sidestepped the sword strike and in one swift motion, slashed his dagger in his right hand at the boy's neck.

The boy's eyes widened in surprise as he lost. Considering if the weapons were real, he had indeed lost.

The fight was over, and Asher emerged victorious. The other recruits cheered as Asher stood panting, his adrenaline still pumping from the intense battle.

The military instructors were impressed with his performance and he passed the combat test with flying colors.

10 minutes after the fight

The boss stood tall and proud in front of the recruits, his piercing gaze scanning the faces of every one of them.

The air was heavy with tension as he began to speak, his voice low and menacing.

"You have all been selected for a reason because you show promise and have the potential to become great warriors. But potential means nothing if you cannot put it into action."

The boss then revealed his gift, a line of criminals who were now to be their opponents in a series of battles.

The recruits gasped in shock as they realized what was expected of them.

The boss continued, "In this life-and-death battle, you must be prepared to take a life. Even if it's a human being. You must be prepared to defend yourselves and your comrades."

The faces of the recruits turned white as they heard these words, their minds reeling at the thought of actually killing another person.

The boss's voice was stern and unyielding, "I will not lift a finger to save those who perform poorly in these battles. You must be strong and relentless, for in this world, the weak do not survive."

The boss went on to explain that the military would not protect those who failed in their duties, for even the elite of the elite does not need weaklings.

He stated that it was their responsibility to be prepared for the worst, to be ready to fight and defend themselves at all times, for the safety of themselves and their comrades.

The boss's words rang out in the silence, echoing through the minds of the recruits.

They all knew that they were being put to the test and that their future would be shaped by their actions in the upcoming battles.

They would have to be prepared, both mentally and physically, to face the reality of taking a life, and emerge victorious.

...

The stage was set, as the three young recruits, two boys and a girl, stepped forward with their weapons in hand, ready to face the unknown.

The fear and determination in their eyes were palpable, their nerves a tell-tale sign of what was to come.

The first boy, Dominique, was a fierce fighter with a buzzcut and dark skin, his weapon of choice was a deadly spear.

The second boy, Oscar, was a blonde-haired, blue-eyed fighter, who had chosen a one-handed short sword and a shield as his weapons.

The final recruit was Rachael, a young woman with brown hair and eyes, her skin as white as snow, and her weapon was a slender and sharp dagger.

The plan was simple, to run forward and attack.

Oscar would lead the charge, with Dominique following closely behind with his spear and Rachael next to him with her daggers.

The criminals stood ready, one of them hooded, the other with a cruel smirk on his face.

As the recruits approached, Oscar suddenly changed direction, running away behind his teamates.

The criminals took the opportunity to attack, the first criminal swinging his bat toward Dominique. But Dominique was quick, dodging the attack and countering with his spear, narrowly missing the criminal.

Rachael too was quick to react, dodging the criminal's attack with her slender body.

Meanwhile, Oscar saw the fight was going well and ran back, trying to steal the kill from Rachael.

Unfortunately, his impulsiveness proved fatal as he stepped into the line of fire, giving the hooded criminal the chance to strike.

The hooded criminal was quick, dodging Rachael's daggers and plunging his sword deep into Oscar's stomach. The life slowly drained from Oscar's eyes as he fell to the ground, the hooded criminal sneering at his cowardice.

Rachael was not one to back down easily, she fought back with her dagger, barely scratching the criminal.

The hooded criminal was quick to react, dashing forward and ending yet another life. The fight had been intense and brutal, and as Rachael fell to the ground, Dominique was left horrified.

The boss's gift was not just a group of criminals, but a test of strength and the willingness to take a life, even if it was a human being.

The sight of two of their falling to the ground caused some of the recruits to throw up, gag, and collapse on the spot.

Dominique was left with a disgusted expression on his face, realizing the harsh reality of the world they lived in.

Asher who was watching from the sidelines, felt disgusted as he saw the two fresh dead bodies lying in front of him.

He was from a military family and was more experienced in seeing dead bodies, but still had to gag at the sight.

Although he was used to seeing dead bodies, taking one was an entirely different matter.

He wanted to help but knew he couldn't, as the military had strict rules, and he didn't want to risk his life for a stranger.

The fight between Dominique and the two criminals was intense.

Dominique was determined not to end up like Oscar and Rachael. He fought with all his might, using his spear with precision.

Despite being outnumbered, he managed to take down one of the criminals before he died.

Asher felt a mix of admiration and sadness as he watched Dominique's bravery.

He knew that not everyone was cut out for this kind of life, and Dominique was one of the few who dared to face the reality of their world.

The fight was brutal, and Asher couldn't help but think of the fallen recruits who would never see their families again.

He hoped that their deaths would serve as a warning to others and a reminder of the sacrifices that must be made to survive.

Speaking of the devil it was his turn.

Asher stood face-to-face with the hooded criminal, his daggers at the ready.

The hooded criminal, with a sneer on his face, unsheathed his sword and approached Asher with a confident stride. Asher didn't let the criminal's arrogance faze him.

He focused on the criminal's movements, watching for any sign of an opening.

The hooded criminal made the first move, lunging at Asher with a powerful swing of his sword.

Asher countered with a swift swipe of his dagger blocking the attack. He could feel the wind from the criminal's sword as it whooshed by him.

Asher quickly regained his footing and lunged forward with his daggers, determined to strike first.

The hooded criminal, caught off guard, barely managed to block the attack with his sword. Asher pressed the attack, moving with lightning-fast speed and precision as he swung his daggers.

The hooded criminal tried to counter Asher's assault, but Asher was too fast.

In the blink of an eye, the hooded criminal found himself with a dagger plunged deep into his chest. As he let out a final gasp, Asher withdrew the dagger and watched as the criminal's body hit the ground.

Asher's hand shook as he gripped the dagger, the handle slippery with blood.

He could hardly breathe as he looked down at the lifeless body at his feet.

He had taken a life, something he had never done before, and it felt like a heavy weight on his chest.

He had seen death before as a member of the military, but this was different.

This time, he was the one responsible for ending a life.

He felt a wave of nausea wash over him, and he had to take deep breaths to calm himself and prevent himself from vomiting.

The adrenaline that had flowed through his veins during the fight was replaced by a feeling of guilt and remorse.

He felt sick to his stomach, and he couldn't shake the image of the hooded criminal's face from his mind.

He took a moment to gather himself, his thoughts in a jumbled mess.

Despite his emotional state he forced himself to take another deep breath and sheathed his dagger.

The test continued, with the military forcing the survivors to watch as more and more lives were taken.

The stench of death and the sight of lifeless bodies scattered everywhere added to the already horrific scene.

The survivors struggled to hold onto their composure, but it was becoming harder and harder with every passing moment.