[Genderswap, Isekai]
“I’m glad that you decided to come, Justice Rider. Just in time for you to stumble your way into my master plan.”
“It’s over, Queen Cuora. As long as I stand, you won’t win. I’ll unravel your plan and save everyone, to make sure that you won’t harm another soul!”
“You wish. What about that partner of yours? Pale Rider? That prickly magical girl who always tried to steal your thunder, to try and get under your skin?”
“She decided you weren’t worth her time. All because I didn’t want to play along with her strange game.”
“A shame! Then it’s a duel to the death between the two of us!”
Thunder smashed against the ground, illuminating the two combatants that stood opposed to one another. This hadn’t been the first time they faced one another. But hopefully, regardless of the victor between the two… It would be the last. Depending on who won, the other would have to stand down and let themselves be subjugated.
The hero of the story was a man clad in what seemed to be synthetic spandex. A delicate material that clung to his body tightly, yet at the same time reinforced it with a slight thickness. It would ensure that he stayed as defended as possible, while remaining as light as possible. His name was Justice Rider, and together with his fists, he would save the day. And maybe, just maybe, find out why the Queen had opposed him for so long.
The villain was an extravagant white-haired and purple-eyed woman clad in an equally extravagant dress, one that should impede her due to the sheer thickness of the cloth she wore. And yet she moved with such grace and speed that it was almost impossible to see her swing her mighty blade. She was Queen Cuora. And while her goals were shrouded in mystery, one thing was certain. She hated those that stood against her. But they were a necessary part of her plan. Even if she hated relying on their existence…
Both of the two combatants waited for the other to make a move. They were well aware of the powers they both possessed. Which was why neither of them wanted to be on the defensive. And yet if one of them lost control of the offensive, they’d quickly find themselves pressured.
“FALL, JUSTICE RIDER!” Queen Cuora shouted as she leapt forward, calling forth her two-handed blade with a burst of lightning from her hand. The thing was bigger than she was, and yet she could hold it with a single hand…
Justice Rider quickly reacted to the lightning-fast swing from his opponent, ducking out of the way as he tried to deliver a matching blow. And yet just as fast as she had swung the first time, another swing came out and slammed against his fist.
Though he braced himself, that single blow was enough to knock him back. He skid against the ground, his boots cracking as they endured the propulsion. All while the queen laughed at him for getting hit. “You call yourself a hero, and yet you take such a weak hit?!”
“All to lower your guard.” Justice Rider said as he corrected himself, cracking his neck a little. While his skillset wasn’t nearly as powerful as the mighty lightning-wielding queen in front of him, he had more than enough guts to make up for the difference in power and skill.
Almost as fast as he had been knocked away, he was back in the fray. Already firing up a mighty punch that was aimed straight at the woman’s chest.
It was a feint. She swung her blade through the air and tried to nail him from above as the weight of the massive sword dragged it down, but by simply weaving his body around the blade, he managed to push through and land a blow. A blow that sent her stumbling backward, her hands briefly leaving her blade’s handle.
“Swinging your blade, using the weight to your advantage… You’re strong, Queen Cuora. But you won’t be able to beat me if you stick to the same old tricks!” Justice Rider said, grabbing the blade with both of his hands, only to toss it back to his enemy. Even if he just restored her potential to full, that was how he fought. He didn’t want to fight an opponent who was lacking in power…
Lightning shot out from Queen Cuora’s hand as the blade magnetized to her palm, letting her catch it out of the air with ease. “I know that. I’ve known that since we last fought. When I thought we could reach an understanding! When I thought that I could let go of my ambitions… And then she had to interrupt!”
The venom that left her lips made Justice Rider’s heart ache. He knew what she was talking about. But that didn’t justify her current actions. “Let’s finish this, Queen Cuora!” He said, cracking his knuckles. This time, he wouldn’t back away from her attacks. He wouldn’t dodge. He would take them head on. And let his spirit stop him from being blown away!
The two mortal enemies dashed at one another, and the queen started spinning, the lightning in her blade and the momentum brought on by starting her spin carrying her towards the hero. This was a dangerous move. One that could easily tear him asunder if he didn’t time the hits perfectly..!
Justice Rider threw a punch, and struck against the blade. Pushing it aside. As it came swinging back at him from the same direction, he struck it again, adding more speed to it. Again and again, he struck it until the Queen started to grow so fast that he could hardly spot the blade.
And yet he kept punching. Delivering blow after blow to that blade. It didn’t matter that he shouldn’t be able to see it from how fast it was spinning. He would be giving up if he didn’t try!
Eventually, he heard a crack. And the blade went flying past his head. Not the entire thing, but the main point of the blade. And the spin slowed down, as it lost most of its momentum. His repeated punches… They had gotten him through.
Unfortunately, it had also gotten him terribly destroyed. Just one look below and you could see that his armor had cracked all over. He couldn’t feel his legs either. He had used his heroic willpower to cancel out the recoil from her blade. He could barely even move, his body trembling as he took a single breath.
“Justice Rider…” Queen Cuora said, after gathering her bearings following the spin. Her eyes were unfocused, but her goal was clear. Even though the visage of her enemy was multiplying due to her dizziness, she wouldn’t stop, as she raised her hand towards his helmet. “I win.”
He knew that. It was why he didn’t resist. Even though he had put up a powerful effort, the limits of his human body meant that he would ultimately peter out in a contest of strength and stamina.
The electricity that slowly started to surge forth from the queen’s hand was painful. It poured into him and tried to use him as a wire headed straight towards the ground. It wasn’t nearly as painful as being hit with proper lightning, but it didn’t help his current discomfort.
Queen Cuora looked closely at her nemesis. And her expression changed from one of respect to one of confidence, as she grabbed ahold of her enemy’s helmet.
And then slammed him straight into the ground, the electricity in her body going haywire as she practically turned into an elemental apparition, barely able to contain her form.
“W-What?! Cuora, what are you doing!?” Justice Rider shouted. He was expecting her to take her prize. To deal with him, since he had lost and been unable to prove his justice. But this feeling… What was this feeling pouring through him!? It was like he was being forced out of his body. Like the electricity was taking him away..!
Queen Cuora let out a violent cry. “MAKING THINGS RIGHT!” She shouted from the bottom of her heart, as she shot straight through the man who had served as her mortal enemy for so long..!
And in that moment, it felt like the world was tearing apart in front of his eyes. It was spreading so far apart that he couldn’t see the skies above. It was being torn apart, leaving nothing but the empty darkness of the infinite void…
Everything was silent. He couldn’t move. All that he could see was the nothingness around him. The cold, empty darkness… And yet, it still felt as if he was moving. He just didn’t know where he was going…
The powerful shock rushed through him once more, and he let out a scream of pure pain. And the world returned to normal. Or at least, as normal as it could be. The sky being a somber crimson was strange, but it was preferred to the empty and infinite darkness…
He could feel his body once more. He could slowly but surely stand up. And he could see the woman that had bested him standing a little distance away from him, watching the skies above as the light of a new beginning shone down on her.
“What… What did you do, Cuora..?” He gasped, his body still aching. He didn’t know that she could turn herself into lightning. He also didn’t understand what she had done. All that he understood was that he was hurting all over thanks to her electric torture.
Queen Cuora slowly turned around, and smiled as she looked at her enemy. “I won. And the world now understands what it’s like to be mine.” She said, pointing towards the sky above. “Evil has triumphed… And I can rest easy, knowing that I won’t have to fight any longer.”
“Evil has… You just pierced through me! Pale Rider, as awful as she is, would be there to defend the world when the chips came down! What does my defeat have to do with the world giving into your scheme!?” Justice Rider shouted, as he stepped towards the woman that had bested him. The woman that had done him in… The woman that claimed to have won.
The only response that the queen offered was a simple mirror, forged from her own lightning. “Take a look at yourself, dear. You’ll understand.” Was all that she needed to say, as she let the mirror float towards the hero.
Justice Rider took the mirror from his enemy, and his expression immediately grew dim as he looked at himself in the mirror.
Or rather, looked at herself. Because the first thing she saw was that she had an extremely feminine face. A face that looked like it had inherited quite a lot from the queen. Whether it was her elegant white hair, or those lightning-like purple eyes.
Not only that, but she wore an elegant dress that mimicked that of the queen’s. It was not nearly as thick or as extravagant, but there were specific elements that matched on both dresses. Mostly the way that it had lightning sewed into it, keeping the wearer alert at all times, even it tingled in a discomforting manner…
Justice Rider took a step back, listening to the sound of her heels clicking against the ground. She couldn’t believe it. She wouldn’t believe it. “What… What did you do, M-” She caught herself as she nearly called the woman something that didn’t feel right… And yet felt so right at the same time. Why..? She didn’t understand…
Queen Cuora smiled, and slowly reached onto the girl’s cheek. Comforting her by slowly rubbing her palm against it. “My ultimate plan, all this time, was to find an anchor to jump through. My power over lightning can only be as strong as the ground below it… But who’s saying that I have to strike this world’s ground..?”
“You… You made us jump to another world. But how does that explain…” Justice Rider muttered, the pieces almost fitting together. Her new body just didn’t make sense to her. Even if it felt… comforting to be held by m- Cuora…
Queen Cuora continued rubbing away at that adorable cheek. “Julia. You’re the reason why you’re like this. I wouldn’t be able to jump through to this world, if not for the crack in your heart. The crack that let you accept me as your Mother.”
Julia. That was her name in this world? And… She was her daughter. It was way too much to take in at once. So much so that the former hero struggled to stay on her feet, stumbling back and forth for a few seconds…
Before she outright passed out in her Mother’s arms, trembling as the whiplash of being transferred into another world consumed her. By the time she woke up, she would accept this more. But for now, she had to rest.
Queen Cuora sighed. And wrapped her arms around her daughter. He had been her enemy mere moments prior. But now, she was her flesh and blood. The daughter, the family she had always wanted. If the two of them had been able to reach an accord prior, their relationship would be different. But this was better. Now, she could enjoy both the spoils of victory, and the culmination of her plan.
For now, she gently lifted her daughter up, and walked off. So that she could return to her bedroom…
---
“Julia… Is that truly who I am..?”
Two days had passed since the revelation was dropped onto her. And still, she couldn’t believe it. Because for those two days, she had been fast asleep, passed out from the sheer weight of what had been dropped into her lap.
Her enemy… Her Mother had won. And dragged her into a world where she not only served as her daughter, but was the sole reason why she managed to win in the first place. She was the catalyst for the world’s entire existence. So why did that fill her with joy..?
Because being a good girl for her Mother made her joyous. It made her feel proud of herself. She felt like she had repaid her for her love, and that was what a princess like her should feel.
Julia trembled as her mind was getting assaulted by the memories of this world. Memories of assisting Mother. Memories of being trained by her personally, and how she ultimately managed to strike down those that wanted to challenge her plan for the world…
Memories that were happy. Memories that filled her with boundless joy. And yet her heart ached, even as her true self was being buried underneath these new memories. Her heart was one of justice. It wouldn’t forget the truth…
Slowly but surely, she stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. She was… Well, she was attractive. In a way, she looked like a younger version of her Mother, but there were a few traits that still made her look like the old version of herself.
Most importantly, the scar across her chest. The scar that had given birth to her pursuit of justice. It was the reason why she had become Justice Rider in the first place. Even if she became Julia, it wouldn’t disappear. It was too crucial to her existence.
Still, to see her body like this… She was actually a little embarrassed. All of her muscle, all of her fine tone… It was still there. But it had been complimented by a rather curvaceous body. One that would bring many suitors, should her Mother force her into an arranged marriage…
If only she had something to hide away her body. At least for the time being, until she grew completely comfortable with it.
“Princess Julia, may I come in?”
A familiar voice rang through her ears, and the princess with the justice-filled heart slowly approached the door. Upon opening it, she saw an equally familiar face…
“Reia..?” She muttered, as she looked upon a maid that looked almost like one of her closest allies. The one that kept her up to date on villains around the city, when she was still Justice Rider.
The maid, who wore her brown hair in a bun, nodded and curtsied in front of her Princess. “Yes, that’s me, Princess Julia! The ever-reliable, the ever-adorable, and the ever-” She paused, before blushing and giggling, stopping herself from prattling on and on.
Even in this world, Reia was still one to keep talking until somebody stopped her. And yet her presence was enough to make her stop…
“...Reia, I need you to do your princess a favor.” Julia said, and the maid eagerly saluted in response. Anything that she ordered her to do, she would do without hesitation. “...Can you retrieve a knight’s uniform for me? Something that I can maneuver in.”
“Ah! Your training uniform, perhaps? Sure thing, Princess Julia!” And with that, the brunette took off before even waiting for confirmation. As if she had done this so many times before for the young princess.
Julia watched as her friend and ally, now a servant, disappeared on the horizon. And she slowly closed the door and walked back to the full-sized mirror as she dwelled on the matters at hand…
Her heart was aching. Not just because she wanted to deal with this entire ordeal, but because she wanted to see her Mother. Her nature as a Mother’s girl was overpowering, and yet…
Julia’s heart of justice would not go quietly. Even though her Mother had managed to make her a part of her scheme, she would not just submit. If need be, she would rebel in her own way. Because while she wanted to fix everything, she didn’t want to hurt Mother more than necessary…
She would find a way to undo this villain’s victory. And at the end… She would comfort her Mother. And find a way for her to live happily ever after, even in a world where she lost.