Field Trip

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works, all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.

Betad by morde24, Atrius, Hermes, Priapus, Marethyu, Old Man of the Mountain, TheDonFluffles, Malcolm Tent, Mike, God of Lore and Beans

The Guild of Gamers, The Planeswalker

Chapter 06: Field Trip

– Noire Vivaris –

My castle was already an amazing gift, quite the apology from my father for his many years of absence, and that was before I realised its true value. Upon exploring my new home, it didn't take me long to find the portal chamber and realise just how powerful a tool it was.

It is a deceptively simple room, but one that allows me to channel my Planeswalking ability into it to create a rift through which other people inside my castle can travel alongside me.

It even remembers worlds I've been to and makes reopening a portal to them much easier, which leads me to this. The portal room remembers three worlds, and I've only been to two. My father pre-selected a world for me, input its coordinates into the portal room, and made it so I could bring my party along.

Eldraine, 'The World of Konosuba' and finally, Remnant.

Remnant of what? I do not know, but I can't deny I'm curious about this world my father thinks I should go to. Leaving Konosuba isn't an issue since time will be frozen until we return.

Convincing Aqua that it was a training trip for her to gain the power to defeat the Demon King was easy; Darkness and Megumin were more hesitant, but both came around to my point of view. Kazuma heard me say 'leave this world' and immediately agreed. I don't think he particularly likes his new world. He subtly asked me about a potential portal back to his original world, but I don't think he wants to go back as much as he thinks he does.

"Are you sure about this, Noire?" Darkness asks, in her full armour, with her collar proudly on display. "I know world travel isn't new to you, but…"

"It's fine. This room is actually more advanced than what we Gods use to send people like Trashuma to new worlds," Aqua waves off; Megumin and Darkness don't quite buy the whole Goddess thing yet, but that's fine. "And Noire said that we'd be coming back to your world at the same time we left. We won't miss anything."

It didn't take me long to realise that as much as Aqua has bought into my hero plan, she very much doesn't want to fight the Demon King or any of his generals. Calling this a training trip is generous because, realistically, she's just running away from her duties.

"Ufufufu~ The path of Explosions goes to strange and wonderful places, but no Arch- erm, Crimson Demon would fear a simple portal!" Megumin declares. She's caught on that I don't like her calling herself an Arch-Wizard. Despite her words, she's not as confident as she acts, but I think she trusts me enough.

"So, are we going to your world?" Kazuma asks, dressed like a proper adventurer since I refused to let him run around in his old… track-suit? Aqua joked about me being his sugar mama when she didn't think I could hear, but Kazuma pointed out that I was the party sugar mama since Aqua wasn't paying rent or for any of the booze she drank.

"No, we might take a trip there eventually, but to be perfectly frank, there's a very awkward conversation waiting for me back home, and I am doing my absolute best to avoid dealing with it," I admit with a small smile. "I don't know much about this world, only that my father chose it for me. He left some small pieces of information, such as the fact that the Gods have abandoned this world and that it is dealing with a considerable monster problem, but it shouldn't be anything we cannot handle. In the worst-case scenario, I can open a portal back to the castle, and we can put off this trip."

"No Gods?" Aqua asks, and I can see the desire in her eyes. A look from me reminds her of our plan, and she gathers herself. I want to see if she can actually pull off not calling herself a Goddess every ten minutes. Kazuma actually seems to like the plan to make Aqua the hero because that means he doesn't have to do it.

"That's right. Evidently, they left Remnant a long time ago," I explain, giving them all a reassuring smile. "Consider this a training trip, but if any of you don't want to go, I'm entirely happy to go by myself," I point out, making Darkness shake her head.

"You're part of the party now; this is just a quest that's going further away than I'm used to. I'm with you," Darkness promises. It's a shame she can't keep her perversion under control, or she'd make an excellent hero herself.

"I will demonstrate the glory of Explosions to this new world!" Megumin promises, making me smile at them, causing three of the four party members to blush. I knew seducing them all would be helpful in the long run. Megumin won't say no to the woman making her able to cast more Explosions. Darkness is too much of a sub to refuse me, and Kazuma desperately wants to earn my affection and more of my rewards.

"Then it is settled; I do believe this journey will be a fruitful one," I say optimistically, reaching out and opening a portal to our destination. It's time to see what world father thinks I should experience.

– Weiss Schnee –

Falling through the air, she cursed her idiotic partner and her utterly absurd plans as she plummeted towards the ground; how did she ever get convinced to try and ride a giant Nevermore?!

Trying to think of a plan, she went through what glyphs she could use to save herself from the imminent high-speed collision with the ground, looking around desperately as she tried to think of a plan.

A firm voice called out, words she didn't recognise filling the air, drawing her attention to where a dark-haired figure was standing on the ground, hand extended towards her.

The effect was instantaneous, her descent slowing considerably as she gently floated toward the ground at a much safer pace.

Blinking, she watched as the weird guy who had tried to hit on her and Pyrrha went flying, seemingly having tried to catch her but missed due to her altered velocity, something she was awfully grateful for as it became clear that vomit boy didn't have an actual plan to stop his own plummet, crashing through a tree and towards the ground with incredible force.

The elegant-looking girl sighed, extending her other hand as she repeated her trick and stopped the blonde idiot from crashing into the ground.

Landing safely, she looked at her saviour with some confusion, seeing the four people coming out of the trees behind her. She didn't recognise any of them from the initiation, and they stood out (except the sole male, who seemed rather plain, but even he stood out slightly thanks to his fantasy apparel).

The armoured blonde wearing a collar, of all things, wasn't something she'd have missed. The shortest member of their group had a massive hat on her head and a tiny (adorable) cat on her shoulder. The blue-haired woman in a dress also stood out; she couldn't have missed any one of these five before.

In the lead, her saviour gave her a small smile and a wave, her hair moving enough for Weiss to see the pointed tips of her ears.

A faunus? No, she'd never seen a Faunus with such a subtle trait; she looked almost elven, not like one of those animals.

"Greetings, I don't suppose you could tell me where we are? We're travellers of a sort and are entirely lost," the lead girl said calmly, unconcerned about the massive bird circling overhead. "But where are my manners? I'm Noire."

"And I'm Weiss; thank you for the rescue, Noire, since someone left me to my fate," Weiss said, glaring at Ruby, ignoring her weak 'I said jump'. "You're in the Emerald Forest. Are you not here for Beacon's initiation?"

"Beacon? No, I'm afraid I don't know what that is. We're on an adventure, a method of transport I have access to… deposited us here," Noire admitted, pausing as she heard movement. "Oh my, this world has some interesting foes."

Noire sounded utterly unconcerned by the humongous Deathstalker that was headed their way, chasing Pyrrha.

Wait, this world?

"You're an alien!" Nora helpfully shouted, pointing at Noire, who just blinked before shaking her head.

"Not exactly, but let's focus for a moment; I do believe your friend needs our help," Noire said. "Darkness, time to do your job."

The blonde immediately jumped into action, charging towards the Deathstalker as Noire started to speak in that strange tongue again, gesturing towards the Deathstalker with the final word. Once again, the effect was obvious as the Deathstalker suddenly slowed down, letting Pyhrra easily outrun it as Darkness leaped forwards and swung her massive sword at its head.

Noire gestured once more, and the sword ignited with flames as it clashed against the Deathstalker's powerful armoured carapace, actually making the beast step back slightly.

That wasn't Dust; Noire had definitely caused the sword to do that because, as far as she could see, the sword was just a basic, non-transforming, great sword. At first, she thought Noire had a semblance that slowed things down, but how did that explain the fire?

She didn't have time to think about that as she heard the Nevermore let out a cry, raining razor-sharp feathers down at them.

Gathering herself, she prepared for battle as the others did the same.

– Professor Ozpin –

He was entirely used to surprises, many of them unpleasant, given his role in fighting back the darkness that wanted to engulf this world, so it was hard to truly catch him off guard.

So when five people had come through a portal into the middle of his initiation, he'd simply raised an eyebrow and brought up the cameras near them, watching them easily dispatch some Beowolves that happened to be near their arrival point.

His eyes widened slightly as he watched the youngest of their group throw small balls of flame at the Grimm, the girl dressed like a stereotypical wizard, making him briefly wonder if a Maiden had dropped into his hands before he shook his head, unlikely. It was far more probable that she just had an elemental Semblance, as rare as they were.

The portal could also be explained by a Semblance, much like Raven Branwen's own portal Semblance, but then he noticed something. They didn't have their auras awakened.

Sitting up, he watched very closely as a Beowolf's claws cut into the male's side, the blue-haired girl moving quickly and engulfing him in light, healing him as the seemingly lead girl scolded him for dropping his guard.

That was magic, powerful magic, no less. Examining the two dark-haired girls, he realised that neither had their aura unlocked either and yet they both used abilities that looked so very much like magic. The one with the stylish hat mostly used small bolts of fire, and the older girl seemed to excel at muddling the minds of her enemies, even making the Grimm flee on occasion as she weaved spells with surprising grace for one so young.

Three magic users just dropping out of thin air?

It was safe to say he was truly shocked for the first time in a long time, watching the initiation very carefully.

The blonde was insanely durable, even without aura, fending off a particularly powerful Deathstalker with only some effort, while the girl who seemed to be the leader of their group had quite the repertoire of spells at her fingertips. Unlike the younger girl, who seemed to only use the same fire-based spell, the older girl had a variety of spells, such as a blast of ice that briefly froze the Deathstalker in place, short-ranged teleportation and a magical forcefield that she used to deflect the Nevermore's feathers.

The male of the group only had a bow, though he did manage to pierce one of his arrows into the eye of the flying Nevermore, whether through immense skill or unbelievable luck. The blue-haired girl seemed to be a healer, which made him wonder if she could help Amber. He almost headed out to kill the two large Grimm himself to keep the potential solution to one of his problems safe before he paused.

The eldest girl, Noire, from what she said to the young Schnee Heiress, had immediately taken control of the young Huntsmen and Huntresses in training. Frankly, none of them seemed willing to argue with the domineering girl. She'd been maneuvering the teams into position for a while.

Why was she making so much space around the Deathstalker? Only the blonde remained, tanking the Deathstalker's blows with increasing trouble as Noire spoke to the younger mage, who beamed in excitement.

Watching closely, his eyes widened in true awe as the younger girl glowed with magic, particles of mana circling around her as she prepared a truly powerful spell.

The younger girl started chanting even as Noire prepared her own spell, as he and Glynda watched in true shock at how their simple initiation had turned out.

"Oh, blackness shrouded in light, frenzied blaze clad in night…" the younger girl started, shaking with the power she was barely suppressing. "In the name of the crimson demons, let the collapse of thine origin manifest. Summon before me the root of thy power hidden within the lands of the kingdom of demise! EXPLOSION!"

As she finished her chant, Noire cast her own spell as the air around the blonde warped, the blonde appearing next to the group and, more importantly, far, far away from the Deathstalker as the spell of the younger girl was cast.

He lost the camera feed almost immediately, the camera he was watching through being far too close to the blast, but he didn't need it as he looked out of his office window towards the Emerald Forest and watched the mushroom cloud of the obscenely powerful explosive spell that had just been unleashed.

From here, he could even see the Nevermore, which seemed frozen mid-flight, before it turned and started to fly deep into the forest as fast as its wings could carry it. Grimm wasn't entirely mindless, especially not the older ones, and it knew it would not survive such a blast itself.

"W-what-" Glydna stammered, her normal stern personality nowhere to be seen as she stared at the camera feed in shock, quickly changing to a camera that had survived the chaos. "What was that? Who are those people?!"

"I have absolutely no idea, but I can't wait to find out," Ozpin said simply, his mind racing. He couldn't let Salem get her hands on these, especially not with her new trick of being able to steal power.

– Noire Vivaris –

…that's Explosion?!

Years of training prevent the genuine shock on my face from showing as I look at my apprentice in an entirely new light. Fortunately, the people of this world all seem paralysed in shock themselves and don't catch my momentary lapse in self-control as I look at the crater where the Scorpion monster once was.

I knew she was powerful, but this… Darkness is lucky I learned a new spell for this occasion, even if I didn't realise just how large the blast radius would be.

Vortex Warp

You magically twist the space around a creature you can see, warping them to another location within the spell's range.

"I believe we should get out of here; that blast was unlikely to have gone unnoticed," I say, getting their attention as the shock starts to wear off. "I believe you mentioned a Beacon? Would you mind showing us the way?"

"THAT WAS AWESOME!" the ginger-haired girl finally shouts, breaking free from the shock as her eyes widen in glee. "She was all like 'Oh, blackest… something edgy,' and then the Grimm just went BOOOM!"

"Nora, calm down," one of the few males says, a pink streak in his long black hair. He's the best-looking guy I've seen since I left Eldraine, no offence to Kazuma and the blonde guy who doesn't even seem to know which side of his sword is the pointy end from the brief attempts at fighting I saw from him.

"Holy shit," the buxom blonde girl whispers, gulping as she shares a look with the red-cloaked one. "Yeah, we can take you to Beacon. We're supposed to head back there anyway."

"Excellent," I say simply, creating a Tenser's Floating Disk to carry Megumin on, briefly stroking her hair proudly as she beams up at me. "You did very well, Megumin. Rest now. Right, lead on."

"What are you? None of that was a Semblance; where did you even come from?" Weiss asks, making me raise an eyebrow at her.

Is magic not common in this plane? Well, I won't hide what I am. Still, what's a Semblance?

"We can discuss that later," I say, brushing her questions off as I keep an eye on our surroundings. "For now, let's move on before we get swarmed by more of those… Grimm, was it?"

– Ozpin –

"Another world?" he repeated, making Noire nod calmly.

"Technically, most of my party are from different planes. I am from Eldraine, Kazuma is from a world I don't know the name of, Aqua is from a higher plane, and Megumin and Darkness are from the world of Konosuba. I am the only one actually capable of moving between the planes as I please; Aqua and Kazuma have special circumstances," Noire admitted with no hesitation. "I'm travelling the planes myself and befriended them after I arrived in Konosuba, and when my father suggested I come to this place, I decided to ask them to join me on my adventure."

It was a ridiculous story, of course, but the strangest part was that he genuinely believed her. The power within her was so very clearly foreign; she had definitely been touched by the divine like him and Salem, though it was clear that neither of the Brother Gods that had left their mark on her.

That wasn't even mentioning the fact that Aqua radiated divine power.

"And you do not know why your father believed you should come here?" Ozpin asked, making her shake her head with clear annoyance.

"I have never actually met him in person. He granted me the power to move between planes as he does; part of my journey is to track him down. I think he's treating this like the ultimate game of hide and seek," Noire admitted, rolling her eyes. "In truth, I am just enjoying my adventure. I do not know how long I will remain in your world, though with the altered passage of time, I could leave for years and come back without anyone ever knowing," Noire explained. "As long as I can continue my magical studies and grow strong enough to protect Eldraine, I don't particularly mind what world I am in. Still, magic seems awfully rare here. I've only felt it in you so far, even among all the trainee Huntsmen and Huntresses."

"Ah, I suspected you'd be able to detect that. You aren't wrong; magic has all but died out in our world with the departure of the Brother Gods," Ozpin admitted frankly, seeing no reason to lie to a clearly experienced mage. She already knew the Gods had left, thanks to her father, who was another mystery.

"Hm, that's something I wanted to ask you about. You claim the Gods left centuries ago, and yet you have a touch of the divine, much like Aqua, though admittedly far more subtle," Noire mused, making him pause before he nodded.

"I have been alive for a long time, though not by my own choice. I cannot truly die, being eternally reborn until I finish my task," Ozpin finally admitted, going for transparency in the hopes that she would reciprocate. "May I ask how Aqua gained her own divine blessing?"

"Aqua isn't blessed; Aqua is a god, though dragged to the mortal planes by a mistake. She can't return to her home until a powerful threat has been slain in the world of Konosuba. She was the one who moved Kazuma to that world upon his death; she reincarnated him and offered him a blessing to help him slay the Demon King. Kazuma chose her as his blessing, not realising she wouldn't have her full powers in mortal form," Noire explained as his eyes widened in genuine shock and awe.

That would certainly explain how much divine energy blazed through Aqua.

"Should she be away from Konosuba then?" Ozpin asked.

"Time is strange when it comes to realm travel; a gift from my father means that we will return to that world at the moment we left. The Demon King is apparently a true threat even to Aqua, so this is an opportunity for us to train and grow in strength away from his agents," Noire explained, making him smile.

"To train, you say?" Ozpin repeated, taking a sip from his mug. "Well, you came to the right place."

He could not allow Aqua to fall into the hands of Salem's agents; he didn't want to know what would happen if they tried to steal away her powers with Salem's newest abomination, nor did he want Noire or Megumin to meet Amber's fate.

"I doubt that was a coincidence; my father does like his games," Noire chuckled, them both sharing a look. It was nice to be able to deal openly with someone. "So, let's talk."

– Noire Vivaris – Later –

"Jaune Arc. Lie Ren. Pyrrha Nikos. Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team RAVN," Ozpin declares. "Led by… Lie Ren."

Nora cheers and hits Ren on the back, leaving him barely able to stop himself from being sent flying from the sheer force she puts behind the blow. Ren himself seems mildly surprised, but he's a rather composed man and gathers himself quickly.

"Blake Belladonna. Ruby Rose. Weiss Schnee. Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team SBRY. Led by... Weiss Schnee!" Ozpin continues, Weiss preening at his declaration, which is immediately ruined by Ruby glomping her partner proudly, Weiss going red and trying to pry the younger girl off her.

"Kazuma Satou. Darkness. Megumin. Aqua. While you weren't supposed to be in the exam to begin with, you performed admirably and were instrumental in defeating a powerful Deathstalker. From this day forward, you will work together as Team Aquamarine, led by… Aqua!" Ozpin's declaration causes some confusion, but frankly, Megumin's demonstration has gotten around, and nobody really complains about us not even applying for Beacon when our team has a pocket weapon of mass destruction.

Aqua seems shocked but then preens at the attention. I picked her as the leader specifically because I'm pretty sure I can get her to listen to me, and while I do think Kazuma would be better from a sheer leadership standpoint, he still needs to be trained out of his bad habits. I won't have the team known for having Trashuma, the Sexual Harassment Hunter, as our leader. I can guide Aqua through leadership, and when she struggles, she'll naturally come to rely on me.

It doesn't go unnoticed that I didn't get mentioned, standing a short distance away from my party, as they give me a confused look. Kazuma is thrilled at the idea of joining this school because, apparently, the tech level here is even better than what he was used to back home. Megumin just wants to blow up monsters, and Darkness and Aqua just followed my lead, so they are fairly confused as to why I'm not with them. Aqua gets practice being the hero, Darkness gets repeatedly dommed by me for being a good girl, and everyone wins.

I discussed a lot with Ozpin while we were ironing out the details of us attending Beacon, and I respect his intelligence. Frankly, it'd be a waste to have me be on a team because Great Sage specialises in mentoring people, and he needs all the help he can get against the Grimm and their leader, this world's equivalent of the Demon King. I know he isn't telling me everything about this Grimm Queen, but I don't mind.

"Finally, Noire Vivaris will be joining our staff as my teaching assistant, offering guidance and training to all teams," Ozpin says, explaining my presence beside him as I give a slight bow. It is logical, as with Great Sage making me a better teacher it doesn't make sense to put me in charge of a single group, plus this gives me more control over my own schedule instead of joining Beacon as a student.

I have my own studies, and while I intend to join the first-year classes, this gives me a free pass to skip whatever classes I want. Besides, this little journey has already paid off for me.

Aura

The manifestation of your soul, forged into a barrier around you that protects you from harm and heals your wounds. With training, it can be used for offence. Having your Aura unlocked allows you to develop your Semblance.

Ozpin awakened my Aura, though it was rather stubborn, apparently. He claims I have a considerable amount, though not the highest amongst the first-years, that feat belongs to either Pyrrha Nikos, the so-called Invincible Girl, or Yang Xiao Long.

He taught me how to awaken other people's Auras so I can try and repeat it with my party, though he wants to be there when I try to unlock Aqua's aura because who knows how that will go, even if there should be no real risk.

I don't miss Weiss looking jealous at my position; even with her new leadership position, she's definitely a competitive one, the type that needs to be the best. I can almost sense the daddy issues. Not that I can talk, but I like to think I am mostly well-adjusted.

The ceremony continues, coming to an end as the teams are given directions to their rooms, and I go along with Team Aqua (the horror on Kazuma's face was highly entertaining).

"So, you plan for us to stay here for a while?" Darkness asks, making me nod.

"There's definitely some major benefits to this place, not least of which is this Dust and their fascinating weapons. If any of you want to go home, let me know, but I think this place could be very beneficial for us. Actually, Darkness, come over here a moment."

As she steps forward, I reach out and place a hand on her chest as I call upon my Aura.

"Aura is a powerful tool. Already, this trip has proven profitable," I say, looking at the slight purple glow of my hand as I recall what Ozpin told me. I'm a very quick learner, and while apparently some people use an almost religious chant as part of the process, it's not necessary, and it's definitely not for me.

Darkness gasps, a brief golden flare appearing around her as I awaken her Aura, and I gasp myself as a wave of exhaustion hits me.

"Hm, that's more tiring than I expected. I will awaken the rest of your auras another time now that I know how to do it. But yes, for the foreseeable future, I intend for us to take advantage of the training and resources this Beacon has. It'll make dealing with the threats back in your world easier. This world doesn't have a Demon Lord or Generals to worry about, so it's a good training ground for us to improve our skills, and frankly, they need the help," I say with a chuckle. I don't trust them to keep their mouths shut about this Grimm Queen, so I'll keep that to myself for now.

Ozpin was rather open about just how bad the Grimm threat actually is.

"So, we get to play student for a while?" Kazuma asks, looking at the uniform with some fondness.

"More or less. I've arranged for us all to get given Scrolls tomorrow- some sort of communication device. You four have classes tomorrow; do not disappoint me," I warn, making Kazuma and Megumin straighten up. "Aqua, I'll be coordinating with you over your new position, but for now, just get settled in and comfortable. I have some prep work to do for my new role. I'm also going to look into a way for you four to get into the castle without me having to do it manually, but for now, you'll need to share this room."

I get my own room as a staff member, which is good because these rooms are a little cramped for four people, let alone five.

"Now, I suggest you get some rest. Classes start fairly early, and I will be displeased if you are late. I'll arrange for a shopping trip for us to get some more suitable clothing and the necessities, Kazuma. I believe this world is similar in some ways to your original world, so I expect you to guide the others as much as possible," I order, making him nod. He's already mentioned that fact several times, recognising the advanced technology that the others and I don't understand (yet).

Finishing up, I go to find my own room before Darkness stops me.

"Noi- Mistress, should I wear my collar in this place as well?" Darkness asks, making me pause. With her armour, you can't really see the details that much, thanks to the black bodysuit she wears under it, so most people probably didn't even know she was wearing one, let alone notice the 'Property of Noire' engraved into it. It would definitely not be missed in the Beacon uniform.

"Hm, I do believe it might be a little too much for this place," I admit, focusing on my Eromancy as I create her a new leather choker. It's similar to her collar, just without the declaration of ownership. "Wear this instead, and you can wear a bra again. You are not to wear anything under your skirt, however."

"Yes, mistress," Darkness agrees, like the adorable little sub she is.

"Now, get some rest. I won't have any of you making me look bad," I warn, giving Darkness a light spank as she gives me a hungry look before she reluctantly obeys. Kazuma is going to go mad sharing such a small room with three girls, but that will be good training for him, both in self-control and to get him used to nudity.

Leaving, I head to my own room in a different part of the school, getting lost once or twice as I find my way to the larger room, which I have to myself. Opening my Scroll, with some difficulty in truth, I manoeuvre to the files Ozpin sent me.

Student files for the first years. I don't half-ass anything. If I'm to be a teaching assistant, then I intend to be a fucking amazing one.

— Bonus Scene — Cinder Fall

What, in the actual fuck, was that?

Rewatching the recording, she watched the multicoloured explosion with a mixture of awe and concern. That was not a Dust explosion, and it didn't look like any kind of Semblance she'd ever heard of before.

Something was going on at Beacon, and she needed more information. This was utterly unacceptable. So close to the next step of her plans for Vale, she couldn't afford to have unknowns running around and overcomplicating things at this point, especially not ones who possess that much power.

The stolen maiden powers burned within her; she hadn't managed to take all the Fall Maiden's powers, but perhaps she should find out who was responsible for such a blast and… liberate them of their power, because she could think of several things she'd do with the ability to cause such destruction.

First, she needed to make sure whoever was responsible wasn't a threat to her plans; she'd come too far to fail at the finish line.