Chapter 2 - Chosen Path
Dannie and Edcarcy were summoned before the Second Commander of the Sixth Battalion, Escanor Kali.
The commander's sharp gaze swept over them, sizing them up from head to toe. A glimmer of approval flickered in his eyes as he spoke.
"Not bad, not bad, you two. Physically, you're qualified. You look strong and healthy. But make no mistake—passing the academy's martial and weaponry clubs doesn't guarantee survival here. You'll face our three-day military trial. Fail the criteria, and you'll end up nothing more than cannon fodder."
Dannie stiffened at his words, though she had expected no less. For two long years she had prepared for this moment—this chance.
"I, Dannie Silve, will not disappoint you, sir!" she declared, saluting with conviction.
Edcarcy, though a little less graceful, quickly followed suit.
Escanor nodded, satisfied. "Alright then. Bring out your weapons if you have them. If not, my men will provide you with whatever you need."
"No need, sir," Dannie replied. She set down her traveling bag, unzipped it, and carefully drew out her treasured weapons: a pair of gleaming twin daggers, forged from pure titanium alloy. Each bore curved knife-edges at both ends, resembling crescent moons.
Edcarcy's eyes widened. "Wait—what?! I thought you were going into archery!"
A grin spread across Dannie's face. "You're the archer. You cover me from behind, and I'll hold the front. That way, we both live." Her grin deepened into a chuckle.
"You tricked me!" Edcarcy groaned, throwing his hands up in exasperation. But beneath his frustration, worry tugged at him. He knew how dangerous the vanguard role could be.
"Are you two finished bickering?" Escanor's voice cut through like a whip, his eyes narrowing dangerously.
Dannie immediately turned away from Edcarcy and stood at attention before the commander. "Sir, I'm ready," she said firmly, as though nothing had happened.
Edcarcy sighed. "I'll borrow a bow and arrows, then, sir," he muttered with a sheepish smile.
Escanor gestured to one of the uniformed soldiers. "Fetch him a bow from the supply department."
While Edcarcy waited, Dannie was ordered to the sparring grounds. A soldier clad in uniform stepped forward, armed with a sword and shield, prepared to test her.
Dannie and the trainer walked together to the testing grounds, where dozens of recruits were already locked in their own battles. The clang of steel, the bark of instructors, and the thud of fists and feet on sand filled the air.
Her chest tightened as she glanced around. Almost all of the trainees were men—tall, broad, and hardened. She could barely spot another girl among them. The weight of a hundred eyes seemed to press down on her, some filled with curiosity, others with disdain.
Most of the girls she knew avoided combat. They were clumsy, fragile, or unwilling to endure the pain of training. That was the common belief: women weren't meant to be soldiers.
But Dannie was determined to shatter that belief. Some admired her courage for choosing this path, but many more doubted her strength, whispering that she would never last.
Once she and her sparring partner reached their designated area, they were given five minutes to prepare.
Dannie tightened her grip on her twin daggers. Her pulse pounded like war drums in her ears. She knew the risk of her chosen weapons. Daggers meant close combat—no room for hesitation, no margin for error. Against a shield and sword, she would be forced to rely on her agility, dexterity, and stamina just to survive.
Across from her, the soldier raised his shield and tested the weight of his blade. His expression was unreadable, though his stance carried the confidence of someone who had faced countless battles before.
Dannie drew in a breath, steadying herself. 'I can't afford fear now. This is the moment I've trained for'.
The commander's voice echoed across the field.
"Begin!"
The soldier charged.
The murmur of voices carried. Some whispered admiration that a girl would dare stand here at all. Others laughed, doubting she would last a minute. The mixture of doubt and expectation pressed down on her like a storm.
She gripped her daggers tighter, her palms slick with sweat.
The first strike came fast—a wide swing of his sword. Dannie flinched and jerked back, barely lifting her right dagger in time to block. The clash of steel rattled her wrist so violently that pain shot up her arm. She stumbled, nearly dropping her weapon.
A ripple of laughter broke from the onlookers.
Dannie's cheeks burned, but she forced herself upright, blinking back the sting in her eyes. 'Don't cry. Not here. Not now'.
The soldier pressed forward, shield slamming against her small frame. She gasped as the air was knocked from her lungs, her boots dragging through the dirt. For a moment, she thought she would fall.
But she didn't. Her knees shook, but she held her ground.
"You won't survive a battlefield like this!" the soldier barked, looming over her.
Her chest heaved. Her arms trembled under the weight of the daggers, which suddenly felt heavier than ever. But deep inside, beneath the fear, something stirred.
'I can't let this end here. I worked too hard… too long'.
She darted forward with a desperate slash. Sparks flew as her blade scraped against his shield. Too slow. Too weak. But at least she had moved—at least she had tried.
The soldier's eyes narrowed. He came at her again, his sword dropping fast. Dannie panicked and ducked too late. The blunt edge grazed her shoulder, numbing her arm. She staggered sideways, nearly toppling.
Gasps rose from the recruits. Some smirked, already dismissing her.
But Dannie didn't stop.
Breathing ragged, she swung again—messy, frantic motions that clanged uselessly against his shield. She knew her strikes lacked power, her form was clumsy. Everyone knew it.
Still, her eyes burned with a fragile fire.
The soldier grunted, shifting back half a step. "Hmph… you've got guts, girl."
Dannie could hardly hear him over the pounding in her ears. She raised her trembling daggers once more and whispered through her breath:
"I… won't give up."
That was when Escanor's voice thundered across the yard.
"Stop!"
The sparring ended. The soldier lowered his blade, his brows furrowed—not in scorn, but in something closer to respect.
Dannie stood unsteadily, arms shaking, sweat dripping down her temple. She looked every bit the fragile girl she was—sixteen, untested, raw.
And yet, she was still standing.
Escanor's piercing gaze fell upon her.
"Your skill is rough. Your body is weak. You hesitate too much." His words cut deep, and whispers rippled among the recruits. But then, his lips curled into the faintest smirk. "Yet… there's something in you. A spark that refuses to die. If you survive our trials, girl, you may just burn bright enough to matter."
The yard fell silent, all eyes on Dannie.
For the first time, she allowed herself a shaky breath, clutching her daggers close as if they were the only things keeping her upright.
This was her beginning.
Dannie's strength finally gave way. Her trembling legs buckled beneath her, and she collapsed onto the dirt, gasping for breath. Sweat drenched her face, and her chest rose and fell in frantic heaves. A few recruits looked as though they wanted to rush forward to help her, but she raised a hand, refusing their pity.
Slowly, painfully, she pushed herself up, her arms quivering as she forced her body upright. Each step toward the resting area was unsteady, but she managed it—alone.
Meanwhile, Edcarcy watched her with a mix of worry and pride. Admiration flashed in his eyes, though he tried to mask it with a crooked grin.
"That's my former leader, huh? Not bad… but dangerous," he muttered, half to himself.
He froze as Dannie's sharp glare cut through him like a blade. He swallowed hard, chuckled nervously, and quickly reached for a flask of water, thrusting it toward her.
"Here. Drink."
Dannie accepted it with shaky hands but said nothing, still catching her breath.
Edcarcy scratched the back of his neck and forced a laugh. "Anyway… it's my turn now. So watch out for me, alright? Hahaha!"
The soldier who had sparred against Dannie earlier remained on the field, rolling his shoulders as if her struggle had barely warmed him up. His calm gaze shifted toward Edcarcy now, the glint in his eyes saying more than words ever could: 'Another one? Very well'.
Edcarcy stepped forward, bow in hand, the faintest smirk tugging at his lips. "Your turn to dance with me," he muttered under his breath.
Escanor raised his hand. "Begin!"
The soldier moved first, shield raised, charging in just as he had against Dannie. But this time, Edcarcy's bowstring snapped back before most onlookers could blink. An arrow whistled through the air and slammed into the soldier's shield with a heavy thud.
The impact made the soldier falter for a second. Murmurs rippled across the crowd.
"Good shot!" someone whispered.
Edcarcy didn't waste the moment. He loosed another arrow, this one grazing past the soldier's shoulder. Then another—aimed low, striking the shield's edge, forcing the soldier to shift his stance. His arms were steady, his movements sharp and sure.
From the sidelines, Dannie watched, eyes wide. Her heart hammered as she compared it to her own fight. Edcarcy's strikes carried weight, each arrow flying with a force her trembling arms could never muster. He looked composed, confident—so different from her ragged, desperate swings.
'So this is the difference between us… between men and women', she realized, biting her lip. 'He makes it look so easy. If it were me, I would've already been on the ground again'.
But the soldier was no mere recruit. With a grunt, he closed the distance, arrows clattering harmlessly off his shield. His sword flashed as he slashed in a wide arc, forcing Edcarcy to roll back and switch positions.
Edcarcy fired again—this time at closer range. The arrow struck the shield hard, almost knocking it aside. The crowd gasped, impressed by his strength.
Dannie's chest swelled with pride. "That's my friend…" she whispered.
But the soldier's eyes narrowed. He pressed forward with relentless steps. Each time Edcarcy drew, the distance shortened. Each dodge drained more of his stamina. Sweat rolled down his brow, his breaths growing heavier.
Finally, the soldier slammed his shield forward with brutal force. Edcarcy was thrown off balance, crashing onto one knee. His bow slipped for just a moment—long enough.
Steel gleamed as the soldier's blade halted just an inch from Edcarcy's neck.
"Enough!" Escanor's voice rang out.
Silence blanketed the grounds.
Edcarcy panted hard, his chest heaving. He had fought valiantly, stronger and sharper than Dannie… but in the end, he too was defeated.
The soldier stepped back, expression calm and unreadable, as though the outcome had never been in doubt.
From the sidelines, Dannie's fists tightened around her daggers. She felt the sting of her own weakness—but seeing Edcarcy fall too made her realize something else.
It wasn't just her. Even someone stronger, steadier, and undeniably more gifted had lost.
This wasn't just about strength. It was about skill, experience, and endurance—things neither of them had yet earned.
Escanor's voice cut through the silence, his gaze sweeping over the two recruits.
"Both of you still lack what it takes. Strength without control is nothing. Courage without endurance is wasted. If you wish to survive as soldiers, you must be forged again—and again—until you break past these limits. Otherwise…" His eyes hardened. "…you'll die before ever setting foot on the battlefield."
The crowd stirred, some smirking, others nodding in agreement.
Dannie's body ached, and her pride throbbed with it. But as she exchanged a glance with Edcarcy—still catching his breath—she knew one thing for certain.
They had both lost today.
But the fight wasn't over.