Gunpla Battle Shop Company

A sensation like weightlessness washed over me as we passed through the swirling blue vortex. It was different from anything I'd ever felt—like being submerged in water, yet completely dry. Alina beeped softly in my arms, her optics glowing a calming blue, while Aria clung to my sleeve with an excited, yet slightly nervous, expression.

Then, with a sudden lurch, gravity reasserted itself.

THUD!

"Ow!" I groaned as I landed hard on my back. Aria, being far too comfortable with this whole divine magic thing, landed gracefully on her feet like it was nothing. Meanwhile, Alina rolled a few feet away, chirping, "Landing, landing! Impact detected!"

Sitting up, I took in my surroundings. It was nighttime, and we were in what looked like a city, but something felt… off. The architecture was a mix of modern and medieval, with tall buildings that had a distinctly industrial yet old-world aesthetic. A massive tower loomed in the distance, shining with bright lights against the dark sky. The streets were paved with stone, and the air carried a faint scent of metal and oil, but also something else—dust?

Aria glanced around with wide eyes. "Ooooh, this place is pretty!"

I frowned. Something about this city seemed familiar… and then it clicked.

This was Vale.

As in, Vale from RWBY.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me," I muttered under my breath.

"What's wrong, Kazuma?" Aria tilted her head.

I ran a hand down my face. "I know where we are. And if I'm right… this world is not going to be peaceful for long."

Before Aria could ask what I meant, the sound of heavy footsteps approached. I turned my head just in time to see a group of people in uniforms marching toward us—Valean police officers, armed and looking very much on edge.

"You there!" One of them, a man with short brown hair and a stern expression, pointed at us. "Identify yourselves! What was that strange energy reading just now?"

Crap. Looks like we caused a scene.

Aria blinked innocently. "Umm… hi?"

I sighed. Welp. Welcome to Remnant, I guess.

---

A few months had passed since the Breach, and life in Vale was returning to normal. Or at least, as normal as things ever got for the students of Beacon Academy.

Under the scorching afternoon sun, two teams—RWBY and JNPR—wandered through the streets of Vale, searching for something, anything, to cure their boredom.

"Seriously, you dragged me out here just to wander around?" Weiss huffed, adjusting her combat dress as she glared at her red-hooded partner. "I could be studying, but no, you insisted on this pointless excursion!"

"I'm sorry, okay? But we needed a break! Some entertainment!" Ruby defended, her silver eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

"How about we focus on actually finding something to do?" Yang chimed in, fanning herself. "I don't want my hair ruined by this heat."

"You always say that, Yang." Blake sighed, walking beside her. "I only came because she ordered it," she added, glancing at Ruby.

Jaune chuckled. "I think it's a good idea. As a fellow leader, I stand by Ruby's decision. Besides, we need to keep Nora occupied before she starts breaking things out of boredom."

"Agreed," Pyrrha added with a gentle smile. "After everything that's happened, we could use a breather."

"Oh, come on, fearless leader! I'm not that bad!" Nora pouted.

Ren, ever the calm one, simply replied, "I highly doubt that." The rest of the group, except for Nora, nodded in agreement.

As they continued down the street, Ruby suddenly stopped in her tracks, staring at an unfamiliar shop. The storefront had a simple yet bold sign in glowing blue letters: GBSC.

"Guys, have you seen this place before?" she asked, pointing at the sign.

A chorus of "Nope," "Nu-uh," and "Not at all" followed.

"This is new to me too," Blake mused. "It must stand for something."

"Maybe it means 'Guns & Blades Shop Company'!" Nora suggested excitedly.

Before anyone could comment, Ruby activated her Semblance, zipping toward the entrance in a burst of rose petals.

"Ugh, again?" Weiss groaned.

"She never learns," Blake sighed.

Yang rolled her eyes. "Guess we're going in, then."

With that, the rest of the group reluctantly followed, unaware that they were about to stumble upon something far beyond their world.

---

The store was much larger on the inside than it appeared from the outside. Cool air from the air conditioning greeted them as they stepped in, a welcome relief from the heat. Rows of shelves lined the left side of the store, filled with colorful boxes displaying humanoid robots in various designs. On the right, there were paints, tools, and supplies.

At the back of the store, a counter showcased several meticulously built models, each with striking details. Behind it, an elevator stood on one side, while a staircase led to the upper floors on the other.

Two people stood behind the counter. One was a young man around their age, wearing a store apron, while the other was a woman holding a small yellow ball with two blue ovals on its surface.

"Welcome to the Gunpla Battle Shop Company!" the man greeted them. "Build and fight for a new experience!"

The teams greeted him back—except for Ruby, who was pouting in mild disappointment.

"My name's Kazuma. How can I help you?" he asked.

"Umm… nothing, really. We just stumbled upon this place and got curious," Ruby admitted.

Jaune, however, gave Kazuma a friendly smile and a small wave, which didn't go unnoticed by Pyrrha.

"Oh, that happens a lot," the woman beside Kazuma said. "I'm Ariabella, or Aria for short. And this little one is Alina." She gestured to the yellow ball in her hands.

"Hello there! Hello there!" the ball chirped.

"Wait—THAT BALL CAN TALK?!" Weiss and Ruby exclaimed in unison, staring at it in shock.

"Well, yes," Kazuma replied with a smirk. "Although, we're getting a little off-track. Jaune, why don't you introduce your friends?"

Jaune nodded. "Of course! This is my team—Nora, my partner Pyrrha, and Ren. We're Team JNPR. And these are our friends from Team RWBY: their leader Ruby, her partner Weiss, her sister Yang, and Blake."

Weiss narrowed her eyes at Jaune. "You seem to know this guy pretty well. When did you meet him?"

Jaune rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, it started after Pyrrha and I trained together that first night. The next day, I was out for a stroll and stumbled across this shop. I got hooked and… well, I trained here too."

"Trained?" Yang raised an eyebrow. "Jaune, tell me you're not saying you trained with toys."

"Yeah! Super suspicious!" Nora added.

Weiss crossed her arms. "I have to agree. I don't see how playing with plastic models could possibly help you fight."

Ruby, however, was curious. "How did you meet Kazuma?"

Before Jaune could answer, Kazuma stepped in. "It's simple. I trained him using Gunpla Battles."

"Gunpla… Battles?" Ren repeated, intrigued.

Kazuma nodded. "It's easier to show you than explain. Jaune, do you still have your Gunpla?"

Jaune patted his belt satchel. "Of course."

"Good. Follow me."

Kazuma led them to the elevator and pressed a button labeled GBF – Gunpla Battle Floor.

As the elevator descended, the group felt a shift in gravity. When the doors opened, they found themselves in a vast, high-tech underground arena. At the center were several hexagonal tables, each embedded with glowing panels.

"This," Kazuma gestured, "is a Gunpla Battle Projector. It allows us to bring our models to life in combat simulations. Now, Jaune, let's show them how it works."

Jaune nodded eagerly and pulled out a small, humanoid model—a sleek white machine with a single horn on its head.

"This is my partner, ARC Gundam."

Kazuma pulled out his own model, a striking red, white, and blue machine with gold accents. "And this is my OOA Gundam."

Both placed their models onto the projectors and inserted small devices called GP Bases.

The system lit up.

Gunpla Battle: Combat Mode Start Up!

Model Damage Level: Set to C.

Beginning Plavsky Particle Dispersal.

Suddenly, the entire battlefield was enveloped in shimmering blue energy. The hexagonal panels transformed into a realistic desert landscape. The Gunpla models—mere plastic seconds ago—came to life, their eyes glowing as they moved like real machines.

The battle was on.

Jaune's ARC Gundam soared through the air, rifle blazing, while Kazuma's OOA Gundam weaved through the attacks with expert precision. They clashed in midair, beam sabers meeting in a flurry of sparks.

The teams watched in awe.

"This is how Jaune got stronger?" Pyrrha murmured, fascinated.

"And you call these toys?" Blake added, eyes glued to the fight.

"Okay, okay," Weiss admitted. "I may have misjudged this."

Meanwhile, Ruby and Nora were practically vibrating with excitement.

"OH MY DUST, THIS IS SO COOL!" Ruby squealed.

The battle continued, with Jaune putting up an impressive fight. But ultimately, Kazuma emerged victorious.

As the simulation ended, Kazuma turned to the group. "So? Convinced?"

A round of eager nods answered him.

Kazuma smirked. "Then it's time for you all to build your own Gunpla."

Little did they know, this was just the beginning of their journey into the world of Gunpla Battles.

~~~~~~~

The air inside the Gunpla Battle Shop Company (GBSC) was cool and crisp, a welcome contrast to the Vale afternoon heat. Team RWBY and JNPR stood inside the spacious store, surrounded by shelves stacked with colorful boxes displaying a variety of mobile suits. Some were humanoid, sleek and agile, while others were massive, bulky, and heavily armored.

Kazuma clapped his hands together, drawing everyone's attention. "Alright, before you can fight, you need to build. Gunpla battles don't start in the arena; they start at the workbench."

Jaune nodded beside him. "I remember when I first started—it takes patience, but trust me, it's worth it."

Nora leaned in toward Pyrrha, whispering loudly, "That sounds like something a nerd would say."

Pyrrha simply chuckled, while Kazuma ignored the comment and gestured toward the shelves. "Pick a kit that speaks to you. It doesn't have to be perfect—this is just your first build. Once you've got your kit, we'll move to the workstations."

Ruby was gone before he finished speaking.

One moment, she was beside Weiss, and the next, she had zipped across the store, stopping in front of a shelf filled with SD Gundam kits. Her silver eyes sparkled as she grabbed a box featuring a chibi version of Gundam Deathscythe Hell (EW).

"This one! This one!" she cheered, holding it up like a prized relic.

Kazuma arched a brow. "An SD kit for your first Gunpla? Interesting choice."

"It's small and fast! Just like me!" Ruby grinned.

Weiss sighed, already rubbing her temple. "This is going to be a long day."

As the rest of the group browsed the selection, their personalities naturally guided their choices:

Weiss picked the Gundam Vidar—sleek, elegant, and efficient, but she immediately frowned at the number of small parts.

Blake gravitated toward Infinite Justice Gundam, drawn to its dual-wielding style and the Fatum-01 backpack.

Yang smirked as she grabbed the Denial Gundam, attracted to its hand-to-hand combat capabilities and glowing energy effects.

Jaune had already brought his ARC Gundam (Unicorn-based) and simply waited.

Nora grabbed the Gundam Gusion, practically giddy at the size of its hammer.

Ren carefully examined several options before choosing the Gundam Astray Noir, appreciating its balanced offense and defense.

Pyrrha settled on the Tallgeese, appreciating its strong, knightly aesthetic.

Once everyone had their kits, Kazuma led them to a row of workstations in the back of the shop. The stations were stocked with clippers, sanding sticks, paints, and other essential tools.

Kazuma stood at the front of the group, holding a fresh Gunpla runner in his hand. "Alright, lesson one: cutting parts. You don't just rip them off the plastic frame—you need to use clippers and leave a bit of excess so you can clean the edges."

He demonstrated, cleanly snipping a piece from the runner and using a file to smooth it out.

"Easy enough," Yang said, cracking her knuckles. "Let's do this."

As the teams got to work, their personalities quickly came into play:

Ruby built at lightning speed, finishing the main body of her SD Gundam in record time. "Look, look, look! I'm almost done!" she announced.

Weiss frowned at the tiny pieces, her precision hindered by frustration. "Ugh, these parts are infuriatingly small! Who designed this?!"

Nora tried to speed through her build like Ruby but quickly ran into problems. "Wait… where does this piece go?" she asked, holding up a detached leg.

Blake worked quietly and efficiently, enjoying the peaceful process.

Yang became competitive, trying to match Ruby's speed. "If she can do it fast, so can I—" Snap! "…Oops."

Ren took his time, meticulously sanding each piece to perfection. "The details matter," he mused.

Pyrrha steadily built her Tallgeese with careful precision, making steady progress.

Jaune, already familiar with the process, helped Weiss when she struggled and guided Nora when she got lost.

Kazuma watched with mild amusement. "Well, at least no one's trying to glue pieces together yet."

Weiss, now holding a tube of glue, froze. "…That's not what this is for?"

Kazuma sighed. "No. Just… put that down."

After several hours, the group finally completed their Gunpla. They looked down at their creations with pride, seeing the results of their hard work.

Ruby held her Death Rose Gundam, spinning it in her hands with admiration. "You're so cute and deadly!"

Weiss studied her Schneesturm Gundam with a critical eye, proud but still annoyed at how long it took.

Nora flexed dramatically. "Asgard is ready to SMASH!"

The group laughed, enjoying the satisfaction of a completed build.

Kazuma crossed his arms. "Not bad for your first time. But building is only half the experience."

Jaune nodded, smirking. "Now comes the real challenge."

The teams looked at them with curiosity, unaware that their journey into Gunpla Battles was only just beginning.

To Be Continued…