Jae-Hwa had been clutching the harness the entire time, feeling it dig into her palm. Various buildings with empty stores passed by as a testament to the changes this world had faced in the short time since she went on the camping trip to organize her chaotic thoughts.

She was unable to see the others clearly due to how the vehicle was designed, but Jae-Hwa thought about what would have happened to her if she hadn't met Jackie and the others. Just thinking about those creatures they encountered at the gas station made her skin crawl.

During the time they were in the car, the others in the group had explained a lot of what happened from their experiences. Hearing what the first night was like had terrified her and made her imagine what would have happened if she was at home, instead of camping. At first, thinking about the monsters hiding and acting in such a predatory manner would be ridiculous but seeing how those creatures emerged out of the shadows of the gas station confirmed what she was told.

A running figure that matched the pace of the vehicle caught her eyes. Wearing an outfit that completely covered their body and carrying what looked like two bars with one having a spear point attached to it, Jae-Hwa felt herself feeling curious about who these people were. In the back of her mind, she thought about how her ex-fiance would have enjoyed seeing these people in action. He was always thinking about the weirdest things that made her sigh in annoyance. Now Jae-Hwa understood why he was still thinking about those outlandish and childish ideas.

Based on the curvature of the person's body, Jae-Hwa understood that the person running was a woman. Likely, sensing that Jae-Hwa was looking at her, the woman turned her head and waved a hand at Jae-Hwa.

Prying one of her hands from clenching the harness, Jae-Hwa shyly waved her hand at the woman.

"Don't worry. We're almost to the stadium, where all of you will be safe." A voice said to her.

Jae-Hwa jerked from the sudden voice and looked around, trying to isolate where the woman's voice was originating from.

There was giggling before the woman's voice said, "I'm talking to you through the speaker system near your head." The woman running waved, again, to indicate that it was her. "The name's, Hina, nice to meet you...," Hina trailed off.

"Jae-Hwa. My name is Yi Jae-Hwa," She answered. "How are you guys able to fight those things?" Jae-Hwa shot off a question, unable to control her curiosity.

Hearing Jae-Hwa blurt out her question seemed to amuse Hina. "Aren't you a curious one?" Hina answered, her voice indicating that she was smiling and enjoying Jae-Hwa's eagerness.

Blushing from not being used to being treated like a child, Jae-Hwa asked in a firmer voice, "I want to learn how to take care of myself." In a softer voice, she said, "I don't want to feel vulnerable again like I did inside of the car and watching those things get closer not being able to do anything."

"Have you played any sports?" Hina asked out of the blue.

"During my undergraduate, before I dropped out... why?" Jae-Hwa wasn't sure what relevance playing sports was. Noticing that Hina was waiting to hear what sport she played in, Jae-Hwa answered, "Competitive Jeok Do. I even competed in a couple of tournaments, though I only won first place once and that was a lot of luck."

"Hmmm... The Way of the Enemy. That's not a very popular sport." Hina seemed to mull over what Jae-Hwa had said.

Jae-Hwa felt herself blush again. It was true that the sport wasn't prevalent and she only practiced it due to her grandparents bugging her. Back when the sport was used as a means of defending the Empire back when it wasn't just a small peninsula, her family was one of the principal families in charge of guarding the Emperor. Every time she would visit her grandparent's house, her grandfather would regularly talk about their family's golden period. All she could do was nod her head and pour him another drink, and agree with whatever he said.

"When we get to the Stadium, I'll have you talk to the Captain and convince her to join. The Captain has been bragging too much anyways, about the new kid and his friends. I admit he has talent, but true skills come from those of us that come from a traditional fighting family." Hina said, sounding happy about this new turn of events. "I guess that I should be calling you Elder Sister if what you just said is correct."

"What?" Jae-Hwa asked in surprise.

"I was told by my parents that our family used to be a branch family to a main family called the Yi, and it was our job to guard the Emperor ages ago. When our country gained our independence, it was only a couple of generations later that our family broke away and formed our own clan." Hina explained. In addition to the sound of amusement, there was a hint of wonder towards the two of them meeting. "Maybe it's fate?"

Hearing such a thing made Jae-Hwa smile a bit, feeling more relaxed and comfortable towards this woman. The fact that Hina was able to mention what her family's ancient duty entailed, it helped to solidify her belief that Hina was being truthful. Even with the help of The Wire, her family history wasn't something that could be easily discovered. "I'm happy to meet someone from the branch family and hope I can be in your care. Though, I'm nothing like previous generations who could likely deal with this new world. It's a shame to say, but I had been screaming in fear for much of the time we encountered those things."

"There's nothing to be ashamed about. I, myself, had been scared of those things when I first saw them. You'll understand soon how we're able to fight toe to toe with those things, soon." Hina reassured her.

Being told that her actions weren't unusual and something even though warriors like Hina and the others went through helped heal her inner thoughts. It was embarrassing how she had screamed at Jackie and the others, making a fool of herself.

"There it is!" Hina yelled out, relief in her voice.

Turning her head to see what Hina was talking about, Jae-Hwa could see a sign welcoming them to "Cherry State University." It was a similar set up as the university she had attended in the past, the buildings designed in the same architectural style. As the vehicle drove underneath the sign, Jae-Hwa noticed several people on top of the buildings. Some of them were carrying large lances or swords and a few strange looking weapons.

With the numbers keep watch on the building, Jae-Hwa understood that this university was likely a last stand type scenario. Earlier, the woman called Becky had said she had found several other groups before them, one of them being the group that had a strong fighter as mentioned by Hina.

Seeing the amount of security as the vehicle passed by, Jae-Hwa didn't understand why she didn't see more civilians. It was possible that all survivors were required to join this armed force, but it was unlikely based on Hina's wording earlier. Before she asked Hina about the lack of civilians, she decided to hold off and just see how things turned out. The likelihood of this place being overrun appeared to be low, so there was no reason to rush for information.

As they turned onto another street, Jae-Hwa felt amazed to see a large colosseum type structure. It was at that moment that she remembered that Cherry State University had received a decent amount of press for building such a large structure. Trying to remember what it was designed for initially didn't come to mind, but she remembered talking to old classmates over The Wire about her school trying to raise funding to compete.

Soon the vehicle slowed down, and she heard the sound of machinery similar to a hydraulic press. When the Rhino moved again, Jae-Hwa felt a slight tilting sensation and the ground passing by her eyes. She realized that they were entering into an underground area, likely a parking place for vehicles. Having such a thing was pretty unusual for a school, though there was talk on The Wire that the military used this type of method for their bases. It was a good thing that she enjoyed checking out the strange forums filled with conspiracies and other topics.

Jae-Hwa soon saw a variety of vehicles, all of them seeming to be fit for combat. It was strange to see cars that could fit inside of the military at a school. Though considering the fighting potential of Becky, Hina, and the others, it likely had to do with what Hina was hinting at earlier. She still didn't understand why Hina asked if she had done sports before.

"Okay, guys! Time for you, guys, to get off and check yourselves in. Welcome to Cherry State University's newest building, brought to you by our good and mysterious friends at Star and Moon. Whether you decide to join in on the fun or just hang out, feel free to relax and enjoy the comforts provided." The driver said in a cheerful voice. "Just press the release button, and you guys are free to head out."

Listening to the woman's words, Jae-Hwa pressed a button on the side that released each of the straps one by one, instead of all at once. Getting out of the seat, she stretched and enjoyed the feeling of not being confined. Stepping off the Rhino, she raised both arms as high as possible and leaned to her left and right side. Her ribs still felt bruised, but the slight stretching made her feel better. She was glad that it was no longer painful to talk, though there was soreness in her throat.

"You'll be able to rest up inside of your assigned room, and we have natural medicine to help relieve some of the pain," Hina walked up to her and said, seeing Jae-Hwa's face scrunch up slightly from the discomfort.

"Thanks. I feel like I need to lay down for the next week, just to shake

off this nightmare." Jae-Hwa morbidly laughed at the new reality.

The two of them walked over to Jackie and the other from her group. Most of the people who helped save their group were walking towards what looked like an elevator. Hina tapped on her shoulder and said that she would find Jae-Hwa later. Hina explained that it was important for Jae-Hwa to get back to full strength before they could do anything.

Waving at her new friend, Jae-Hwa focused on what Becky was telling Jackie and the others.

"You'll soon see that our base of operations is fully equipped to take care of the needs of both regular folks and us, players. You guys are free to do whatever you want, as long as it complies to the rules of this place. Like I told you before, your group is free to join as a player, but it means that you'll have to do the same duties as everyone else." Becky explained. "We'll hook all of you up with new wristbands, too, so you, guys, will need to head over to the office and get that all taken care of. Feel free to ask any of the players if you have any questions or concerns. We generally have a uniform on or something with an insignia on it, so you'll be able to identify who are players and who are regular folks."

Becky began herding them towards the elevator as she continued to explain the meal distribution locations and other everyday items.

They entered the elevator and soon felt it begin to head down. Jae-Hwa noticed that the elevator was different from what she was used to seeing, the way it had a screen and the buttons seemed to be on some type of touchscreen panel. On a different display on the side, there was some type of promotion for a new sport. It wasn't until she saw the outfits the players were wearing that she connected what Hina had asked her earlier to the commercial she was watching.

It showed clips of highlights of players fighting against giant monsters, cutting the creatures up with those giant weapons all of them were carrying. Seeing what the purpose of the weapons made her understand why they all looked ridiculous. To fight against monsters the size of a building, using a regular sword or gun wouldn't help at all.

On the bottom of the screen, she read, "Once Again, Han And His Team Dominate In Games Against Other Cherry State University Teams. Will They Be Ready To Face Off Against Other Schools In The Next Battle Of The Schools?!"