The Transforming Heroine of Defeat

“Wait! I won’t let you escape!!”

A shadow runs through the deserted alley at night, its shimmering golden twin-tails swaying.

The vivid blue and white leotard-like costume accentuates her ample bosom and firm hips, showcasing her voluptuous body line.

She wears long white gloves on both arms, and in her right hand, she wields a rapier. Protecting her running legs are matching white knee-high boots.

Her face is obscured by a pink visor that covers from her forehead to her nose, and she is clad in a manner that one would not expect of an ordinary person—she is the shape-shifting heroine, Shine Mirage.

Continuing her battle against the evil organization “Dark Crime,” she has spotted a monster wreaking havoc in the city today and is currently in pursuit after it fled.

“Is the game of tag over? Now, prepare yourself for what’s coming next.”

The monster, having entered a deserted factory in the suburbs, comes to a halt. With her rapier at the ready, Shine Mirage speaks with a confident tone.

However, the slight smile visible on the monster’s profile as it turns slightly suggests it is not feeling cornered, and it dashes deeper into the factory.

“What is that… that disgusting smile?”

Was she lured out? The shape-shifting heroine questions the monster’s unnatural behavior, but having come this far, she cannot afford to retreat.

“There’s still time. Even if it’s a trap, I won’t let myself be underestimated by such a monster.”

Not much time has passed since her transformation. Confirming that the previous battle was brief, Shine Mirage continues to chase the monster.

Even if a trap is set, she has absolute confidence that she can win. The undefeated heroine of justice cannot even imagine a vision of defeat.

One day, the sudden invasion by the otherworldly entity “Dark Crime” enveloped the people in fear.

Monsters and combatants that could appear at any moment. The police were powerless against them, and the city was destroyed with no means to stop it, sometimes resulting in unrelated civilians being abducted.

Sahime Toudouin. As the daughter of the Toudouin conglomerate, she too was attacked by a monster and discovered a jewel box that appeared alongside a flash of light while fleeing.

Upon opening it, light enveloped the girl, granting her sacred power and enabling her to transform into Shine Mirage.

Understanding various powers and slight limitations, the shape-shifting heroine continues to win, now becoming the arch-nemesis of Dark Crime. An invincible heroine who has defeated many monsters.

It is precisely because she takes pride in being such a special existence that, even if no one is watching, she will not utter the words of retreat here. She charges into the darkened factory to corner the fleeing monster.

“Where are you!? There’s nowhere left for you to run!!”

“Guha ha ha ha!! Fool! You’ve fallen right into my trap!!”

As the shape-shifting heroine cautiously advances deeper, she arrives at the center just as the monster’s loud laughter echoes and the doors slam shut.

The lights flicker on, illuminating the surroundings, and the space around Shine Mirage begins to warp. Suddenly, a multitude of combatants appears in what was previously an empty area.

Surrounding the shape-shifting heroine are dozens—no, perhaps over a hundred—men in black tights, grinning as they gaze at the transformed lady.

“Well, is this the trap? No matter how many there are, weaklings are still weaklings. You’re not my target.”

“I don’t like your cheeky attitude!! Attack, combatants!!”

At the monster’s command, the surrounding combatants rush towards Shine Mirage like an avalanche, intent on crushing her.

With no escape in sight, the shape-shifting heroine shows a relaxed smile, kicks off the ground powerfully, and leaps high as if in zero gravity, looking down at the combatants.

“I can’t waste time on weaklings, and these useless fools need to be taught a lesson. Magical Form!!”

As Shine Mirage speaks, her body is enveloped in light, bursting forth in an instant.

What appears next is a costume primarily in pink, with her hair tied in a ponytail and adorned with frills here and there, resembling a dress.

Beneath the skirt lies a maiden’s sacred area, tantalizingly long yet just shy of revealing. The long gloves have changed to pink, and her legs are clad in matching tights with white high heels.

Only the visor that conceals her face remains unchanged as Shine Mirage brandishes a staff embedded with jewels.

“Time to catch them all. Thunder Spear!!”

With her words, a lightning bolt, resembling a thunderclap, strikes the ground of the factory where the combatants are writhing, the screams of the struck weaklings echoing throughout.

“Now, you’re just in the way. Let’s move you aside.”

As she readies her staff again, a powerful wind akin to a tornado erupts from the center of the factory, blowing the combatants against the walls.

The absolute power of the shape-shifting heroine. The reason the transformed heroine can continue to win lies in this transformation ability. She can change into the form she envisions and wield weapons that befit that form.

As her long moment of suspension ends, light envelops her once more as she descends, and she reverts to her original leotard costume.

This is her most frequently used form, the Striker Form, designed for high-mobility close combat.

“Now, it’s just you left.”

Pointing the weapon that has transformed from the staff back to the rapier at the monster, she displays a smile as if victory is already hers.

“You… Shine Mirage!!”

“Charging at me in a rage, you really are simple-minded!!”

The monster lunges at her with claws glowing in both hands. Shine Mirage also readies her rapier, dodging the descending right arm and deflecting the subsequent left claw strike with her slender blade, delivering a kick to the monster’s exposed abdomen.

With a groan of “Guh,” the monster retreats, and Shine Mirage closes in, unleashing a series of attacks with her rapier.

The speed is such that a mere combatant could not evade it, but this modified monster, with its heightened reflexes, manages to dodge, parry, and occasionally counterattack.

Over 70% of the battle is dominated by Shine Mirage’s offensive, making it clear who is stronger. However, since her attacks do not land directly, the damage inflicted is minimal. Even if she wins, a prolonged battle seems inevitable.

Then, during the fight, the shape-shifting heroine notices an unsettling feeling and speaks up.

“You don’t seem to have any intention of attacking, do you?”

“Well, who knows!!”

Despite her overwhelming advantage, the lack of counterattacks is too conspicuous. She had thought the monster could only focus on evasion, but perhaps it is different.

If this monster is prioritizing evasion from the start and waiting for time to pass…

(This is bad… Perhaps it has found my weakness.)

The worst scenario flashes through her mind. The only weakness of the invincible heroine lies in the duration of her transformation.

Though Shine Mirage wields the power of another world, that immense power cannot be used indefinitely. After transforming, she has about two hours as a guideline.

While two hours seems sufficient for battle, using powerful attacks like her finishing moves reduces that time.

If she exceeds her limit, she will be stuck in her transformed state, becoming just an ordinary girl for the next two hours.

Though she has never reached her limit in previous battles, she has had close calls. If they have been studying those aspects…

(About 30 minutes left… At this rate, I won’t get anywhere. Then…)

She deflects the monster’s attack that comes in a moment of slight opening with her rapier. The monster, still wearing a relaxed expression, creates distance and waits for the shape-shifting heroine’s attack.

“I’ll finish this quickly!!”

With her rapier pointed vertically towards the ceiling, she brings her hand to her chest. After a moment of concentration, Shine Mirage kicks off the ground.

“What…!?”

“Shine Thrust!!”

The speed is nothing short of light speed. The shape-shifting heroine closes in before the monster can react, unleashing a series of thrusts with her rapier.

Not only is the speed enhanced, but the attacks are also imbued with sacred magical power, easily penetrating the monster’s defenses and obliterating its form.

“Haah… Not even able to let out a death cry, how pathetic.”

Having shattered the monster’s trap, the shape-shifting heroine ignores the fallen combatants around her and opens the exit.

She might be seen. Just after exiting the factory, she intends to revert her transformation in a secluded spot.

“Combatants. You’re still here, huh?”

There are about ten of them, waiting in ambush, clad in black tights.

Moreover, they are all larger than the usual combatants, clearly suggesting they are specially designed power types.

“Against the illustrious Shine Mirage, even ten of us might be overwhelmed, huh? Let’s have some fun.”

“You’re not thinking of running away from us, are you?”

All of them wear lewd grins, their words coarse and vulgar. This is the type of opponent the shape-shifting heroine despises the most.

Considering the remaining time, it would be best to dash through and shake them off, but her pride refuses to let her flee from combatants, and her anger at such scum fuels her resolve.

“Very well. You’d better not regret those words!!”

With her energy reserves too low to use any major techniques, she slashes at them with her rapier, thinking that a swift kill in Striker Form would be best. The arrogance of being mere combatants, coupled with her anxiety over her dwindling energy, simplifies the shape-shifting heroine’s actions.

Clang!! The sound and sensation are as if she struck iron, and Shine Mirage’s eyes widen behind her visor.

“Ouch! That stings. It hurts, but I’m still okay. Let’s all go at her!!”

The modification was for durability. Under normal circumstances, she would switch forms to focus on attack power and finish them off, but that is difficult now.

They charge at her recklessly, but with ten of them, it becomes troublesome to handle them all.

(This is frustrating, but I have no choice but to retreat for now.)

Surrounded by a wall of flesh boasting high defensive power, there is only one place to escape. Shine Mirage kicks off the ground hard, soaring high as if to face the moon. Her goal is to escape the factory grounds, her gaze already fixed on the exit.

If she had the luxury, she might have looked down at the combatants. And perhaps she would have noticed the oddity and been able to respond.

“Now, go for it, now!!”

“Eh… Kyaaah!? Ugh!!”

In the moment she was distracted by the voice from below, a large net shot from behind successfully ensnares Shine Mirage.

The bound shape-shifting heroine falls before reaching her destination, crashing to the ground without being able to brace herself, letting out a cracked voice that is anything but dignified.

“Ugh, this humiliation… I must hurry and escape.”

She grips her rapier tightly to cut through the net, but as she tries to run, a black shadow stands in her way.

“Hey, what’s wrong? The justice heroine, Shine Mirage, isn’t going to run away, right?”

The words of the combatants, wearing triumphant smiles, are more than enough to infuriate the prideful Shine Mirage, especially when combined with their childish trap.

“I won’t allow this any longer… Prepare yourself!! Shine Thrust!!”

There is only one in front of her. The rest are behind and to the sides. Then, she can use her ultimate attack to take him down and escape.

With her blood boiling, the lady heroine unleashes the same finishing move that had vanquished the previous monster upon the combatant.

A series of light-speed attacks should obliterate the combatant… or so she thought, but reality paints the worst conclusion for the justice heroine.

“Eh…”

“Is that your finishing move? It doesn’t work on me!!”

“Ughhh!!”

The rapier’s attack is stopped by the combatant’s suit, not budging an inch further. Before she can even recognize the worst-case scenario of running out of energy, the combatant’s fist drives into the shape-shifting heroine’s abdomen with force.

The mere leotard offers no protection, and with a powerful swing, the shape-shifting heroine is sent flying, caught by the combatant behind her.

“Ah, ugh… cough, gubuu…”

The shape-shifting heroine trembles weakly, letting out a sound she has never made before.

With a pain that feels as if her insides are being crushed, she struggles to form words.

“Hey, hey, don’t tell me the justice heroine is going down like this. The fun is just beginning, you know?”

As the combatant supporting her turns Shine Mirage around, he begins to squeeze her delicate body with crushing force.

“Higuuuuuu!! Agh, ugh… stop… Aaaahhh!!”

The shape-shifting heroine can only scream in pain as her insides are compressed. She tries to utter words of resistance, but any increase in pressure elicits another scream.

The invincible shape-shifting heroine’s disgraceful defeat… but this was merely the beginning of her hell.