Frei had pulled out a wooden bokken and a men* from her belongings in the changing rooms. She waited for me on the tatami floors.

The medium sized training sword was something I was well accustomed to.

I took one similar weapon from the training rack, and stood in front of her.

As usual, I didn't put any headgear on.

She looked towards my mother, waiting for her to say something it.

Hailey didn't notice, and began explaining the rules: "Surrender or first killing blow. I'll judge."

Killing blow meant a hit that would have killed or incapacitated, nothing as final as you'd think.

I looked at my opponent. Indignation had flared inside her pupils. Not wearing protection could be interpreted as a 'you'll never hit me' taunt. It wasn't the case, but if it pissed her off, It was gonna help me win, so I let her believe it.

"Start!"

Gone was the shy girl. Determination and anger was the only thing I felt from her right now.

We circled each other for a bit.

I was checking for weaknesses in her stance, in her grip.

As expected, none were to be found.

She had been training with my mother after all.

I took a defensive posture. She was the one that had to prove herself after all.

I even cheekily smiled at her.

She stepped forwards. Three quick strides.

A Sho Men. One of the most notorious vertical strikes in swordfighting.

Fast, and unexpectedly strong too.

It had to have been perfected ten thousand times or more to obtain such a perfect slash.

S~caary. She had not hesitated one second even though I didn't wear head protection.

But it was a bad move against me. It was bad luck and she couldn't have known.

I took a step to the right, pushed the pommel of my sword into her stomach.

Her wooden blade didn't even graze me, and she had to quickly fall back to catch her breath.

I hadn't hit as strong as usual.

My new female self did lose some muscles after all.

I sighed.

"Am I boring you Sias-san?"

I pissed her off even more unadverdently.

I didn't like to talk and train at the same time.

I did a slight bow of the head, apologizing silently.

I shouldn't have, her getting emotional would be benificial for me. But I honestly didn't want to get on the bad side of my future bodyguard.

My mother was circling us, and threw a few advices for my opponent.

"Frei! Don't let him take the advantage, if he rhythms the fight, you'll lose."

Him. A slip of the tongue.

A few of the students who were watching us gave questioning stares at their teacher.

But I couldn't be bothered right now, Frei had listened to the advice that was given to her, and she was currently unleashing a myriad of strikes, slashes, kick and punches.

I wasn't as used to her personal techniques as I was my mothers, and it was damn hard to keep up.

She managed to land a shallow hit on my leg, and would've badly scratched my cheek with another strike if it was a real blade.

Exhale.

Inhale.

One moment was all I needed.

Her feet got slighlty tangled in the hakama on a pretty aggressive piercing stab.

This was it.

I broke her rhythm.

I countered the stab with an old french fencing move. The tip of my blade flew to puncture her grip.

Her blade sprung out of her hand.

I grinned.

My next strike with the blade, my first real attack, went towards her temple, she had protection after all.

I got careless.

I forgot what her kendo-style moves most likely meant.

I grunted painfully as my own strength got used against me. My arm was twisted to the ground. The rest of my body had to follow if I wanted to stay in one piece.

Of course she was an aïkido practitioner. I'd even bet on it, but disarming her had blinded me.

She was now using a rather painful nerve technique to lock me in place.

"Ow ow ow, I yield." I said out loud as she was pushing harder on my wrist.

"Frei won. Barely." Announced my mother with a depreciating expression.

My tormentor released me.

"Barely?" She protested.

"The strike that hit your hands to send your sword flying would've rendered them useless, no way you could have done that counter technique, you've won here, you would have lost in a real fight. So, barely."

I got up, and exclaimed my dissaproval. I hated this warrior philosophy.

"But it was an exercise, and you won with the rules that Miss Skröskind gave you. Well played." I held out my hand.

Frei gazed at it a bit puzzled, then shook it.

"Thank you Sias-san, but honestly, why do you need a bodyguard?"

"Please, we fought against each other, and I already asked for you to let the honorifics go, call me Sias." I tried my best charming smile. Except I wasn't exactly a charming man anymore.

I think I failed horribly.

She looked at me, clearly troubled, her cheeks got a bit red.

"Of course, Sias, why do you need a bodyguard?"

"Ask mom." I said while pointing at Hailey.

All the students shouted in surprise.

Shit.

One of the older ones, Jakob If I remembered correctly, immediately put the dots together.

"Wait mom?.... Sias? SIAS? Last time I saw you you were the quietest teenage boy ever! What happened!?"

My mother scratched her head.

I got surrounded immediately, bombarded by questions and commented on my new assets.

"Why did you transition to pussycat? Not that it looks bad, honestly your doc must've been crazy good."

"Sias, wow, you got better, almost beat our ace there!"

"She didn't only get better with the sword if you know what I mean."

"What a waste..."

Nothing is worse than being harrassed by big macho athletes.

Well no, I lie. Fanny is worse.

Even the new students who never heard about me came to see what was all the commotion about.

I returned home wiped out. We had trained until early this evening, and I had to dodge all the questions about where I did my supposedly sex-change.

I only remember a phone call from Fanny that night, telling me that having to do all the paperwork for Japan in one week was crazy and that she would only do it in exchange of another shopping trip in Tokyo.

I believe I may have answered rudely: I hung up on her and went to bed.

The next six days were pretty much as bad.

Running, training, sparring sessions.

I faced every student multiple times, and I did win against most of them.

None against my mother though, and only once against Frei.

She was good, crazy good in fact. She was only 22 too.

The initial anger that I felt out of her quickly went away. I think we actually hit it off pretty well.

But I was a girl now. My friendzone power before was already pretty high before, I don't think I had any chances left.

I thanked the training and the whole 'trip back planning', because without them, I think this would have seriously depressed me.

I never managed a long term relationship before. Some one-night stands, sometimes weeks, but with my family history, and let's be honest some aspects of my personality, it never went further than that. It came to the point I was sometimes jealous of Fanny and Henry's relationship, and I hated myself for feeling that.

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

So it was good I had a lot to do. I didn't have to think about it.

Still, me and Frei quickly became friends.

As far as I could tell, she was extremly timid out of the training grounds, like a stereotypical Japanese girl.

But she was extremely outgoing during them, like a stereotypical German girl.

Yeah I was wrong, half Japanese, half German, not Dutch.

In any case, I liked those contradictions in her. It made her interesting. Those two worlds that collided. We had that in common I guess.

The last day of our training together came sooner than I expected.

She had just signed the contract to help me as a bodyguard for six month in Japan.

"Do you have all paperwork ready for the trip?" Asked my mother while putting the document away.

Frei smiled meekly "I don't need it."

"Oh, of course."

"What?" I protested jokingly. "How is that fair?"

"I have the double nationality Sias."

"Impure blood!" I playfully snapped back with false disdain.

She looked at me innocently. Not reacting.

Boo not fun.

My mother sighed.

"You should just shut up sometimes."

"Hey! I'm your daughter~ish!"

"Nope, you're my daugther. Get used to it, it'll make it easier for me."

Frei giggled.

Way too cute.

I pouted.

The trip was happening.

It took three extra days, because of an administrative mess at the city office about Fanny's passeport, but all in all it went ok.

Mom had said goodbye to us at my home, looking sadder to lose her best student than her own offspring. Dad had insisted accompanying us to the airport.

"A taxi's fine dad."

"Non. Hors de question."

So he brought us there. He was supposed to work, I sometimes wondered how he didn't get fired already. He was always taking unnanounced holidays for the most dumb reasons.

"You've got everything?" He asked me in front of the terminal gates.

"Yup, now stop embarassing me in front of my friends."

He nodded.

Fanny and Henry politely gave us a bit of room, but Frei stayed close. She looked inconspicuous, but I could feel here gaze regularly fall back to me, then my surroundings.

She was already in professional mode. 

First things when we arrived I promised myself, was to convince her this bodyguard job was more to reassure my dad than anything else, and that she should take it easy with us.

"I shouldn't let you go Sias, you're not coping with what happened to you, you're only fleeing it."

He was acting strange.

"Dad, I'm not fleeing anything, I'm trying to get my life back in order." I objected.

But my words didn't reach him. He held my shoulders.

"Sias, it's not over, you know that don't you? You can feel it."

He was right, there was unfinished business waiting to happen, my gut-feeling was definite on that subject.

But how my father knew, that was another question.

"Dad, are you not telling me something?"

That made him step back. He let my shoulders go and dusted his coat.

"No, no of course not."

I stared at him.

"You'll tell me when I get back. I'll be back, I promise."

That made him smile.

"You will, you'll always do. Remember, strength is gained by failing. Control by loving."

And he left.

"That was weird." Dropped Frei. She put a hand on her mouth, ashamed of having said that out loud.

"Tell me about it. He's hiding something. He always is. He is the eldest son of the Jourdin after all."

"What does that mean?"

I peered into my friends eyes. No emotions in my voice.

"Oh, bad things,  but don't worry about it."

Kyoto, here we are again.

All in all, our first day on the land of the rising sun was tiring, but nice. All the paperwork, relocation, keys, new language school (It wouldn't do to show up like this to my old one) took most of the day, and jet lag was hardcore.

But at least no one tried to kill me.

We had two apartments next to each other in a pretty classy part of the city. My dad invested way more money on my friends than when I was on my own. It didn't bother me. He had given me what I needed and nothing more. The extra luxury was there to accomodate the others.

"Sooo biiig!" I heard Fanny shout through the thin walls. Japanese walls always were. Only exceptional ones didn't suffer from that problem.

"Fanny! Hush, we can hear everything!" I shouted back.

"E~verything?"

I didn't hear what she was doing, but I could hear Henry gasp.

Better ignore them.

"Sorry we couldn't get you a private apartement Frei."

She was in front of me.

The apartement was pretty big, we even had a terrace, two single beds, a nice kitchen, a big bath, and a four person table, where we were currently sitting.

"Sias-chan, it is no worries, it would be pretty hard to do my job otherwise."

I winced. "Chan?"

"Well you are definitely beautiful enough to deserve a chan."

Urgh. Friendzoned much?

"I hope you won't mind if I keep calling you Frei? I like freedom without the social rule behind it."

"Ie, Ie."

There was an awkward silence.

After a minute of staring, it looked like she wanted to say something.

"Yes?" I encouraged.

"I told you I had unfinished business here right?"

"Erm yeah, when we first met right?"

"Would it be possible to do that tomorrow?"

"Do I need to be there?"

She had a contrite smile. "I would prefer if you didn't leave my sight."

"I can handle myself, you don't need to be on edge. It's mostly my dad overreacting."

"Maybe. But your mother still insisted I take care of you. Also, I already saw two suspicious individuals looking at you at our arrival in Osaka, and then Kyoto."

"Shit. Nice job spotting them I guess, you had a real bodyguard training?"

"Yes, it is linked to what I need to do here. You don't seem to be doubting anything I said?"

It almost seemed to bother her.

"Wha...?" I looked at her open-mouthed "Of course not, why would I?"

Before she could answer, something about what she said finally made me realize something.

"Wait a second. A bodyguard training and a martial one here, in Kyoto?"

"Yes that's right?"

"What's your family name again."

"Shiwazaki? You didn't know?"

"Skipped my mind... oh shit you're Shiwazaki-sensei's daughter."

It was her turn to open her mouth in surprise.

"You met Otou-sama?"

I wriggled in my chair.

"Erm you could say that."

Realization enlightened her eyes.

"You never stopped practicing."

I caughed.

"I did, just not as much as my mother believes."

"That's why you were barely rusty, and knew how to use Iai* against Hairley sensei. And how you dodged my Sho men so easily."

"Yup. Pretty used to that technique by now."

"Why did you lie to your mother?"

"I didn't exactly lie, she just believes I stopped practicing, and I'm not correcting her. She's the one not asking."

"Why?"

I sighed.

"To win our next fight."

That surprised her.

She laughed.

"What is it?"

"You went to train with my father to beat your own mother, and I went to your mother to win against my father. It's a pretty crazy coincidence."

"Ha ha, looks like it yeah. But nah, it seems pretty logical when you think about it, not a lot of masters of that level in the world."

"I guess."

A dark thought broke this happy moment.

"Your father isn't a nice man Frei, I wouldn't want to challenge him." I felt obligated to tell her the truth. I heard how she called him -sama, extreme respect. Way too much than he deserved.

Frei stopped laughing too.

"No,... no he is not a good man. I am surprised you went to him honestly, you don't seem like one of his regular students."

I smiled weakly.

"I am not, but I know how to act like one since forever. What's more I was not a woman at that point. To be perfectly honest I stopped going weeks before my new predicament."

She nodded.

"Let me guess, he couldn't help you anymore."

"In a way, yes. I thought he would be stronger, and maybe he is, but as a teacher he's just a good bully, nothing more. I apologize, I'm being rude to your father."

"Don't be, it's why I want to fight Otou-sama, I want to show to the world he's a fake."

"I wouldn't say he's a fake. He did beat mom once."

That made her snort. Gone the usual timid Frei, German Frei had arrived.

"In a tournament, with restrictive rules that made a woman vs a man match completely unfair."

I didn't agree.

"Still, she lost. He's not bad, far from it. He may not be as strong as my mother sure, but he's not far from it."

"Do you think I'll win?"

I looked at her. She was tense, my answer was important to her. In less than a month I had become a figure she respected in a fight. Maybe even outside one. It should have made me happy. It didn't.

"With standard rules, maybe. But if I understand correctly, it's not a match, it's a challenge you seek. That is gonna be harder."

I thought about the violent, almost sadistic middle aged sensei, who made me remember another figure of my past.

To be honest, I didn't leave because he couldn't teach me anything anymore. I left to avoid repeating an old mistake.

"But I still have a chance." My new roomate asked with hope.

Budding anger bloomed inside me.

"No."

"..." She looked at me with shock.

"Not in your current state of mind. What you're looking for can't be found in a fight. If you go in like this, you'll get shredded. He's not the kind of man who'll pity the defeated, even his daughter... am I wrong?"

"No. It's true but... but you want to do the same to your mother!"

I got up my chair, I couldn't stop myself.

"It's NOT the same. I'm not seeking revenge, just proving a point! Showing her I can do it! It's a way to give her forgiveness. I'm doing it for both of us. And I'll succeed, I know it. Not today, I'm not ready yet, but in a few month, with a bit more training, I know I'll get there. But you! You want to use violence to prove you're right. Exactly like he does!"

She looked at me, flabbergasted.

I saw it. The unparalleled violence of unhidden truths. I had said too much. I began apologizing...

We heard knocking at the door.

Frei immediately jumped up, on the ready.

It was only Fanny.

"Guys you alright? We can hear you shouting over our moans it's a big turn off."

Henry coughed violently. I knew my best friend was trying to calm the situation down in her own special way. I loved that about her. I hated it too.

I exhaled.

Calmed down.

"Come in, it's open."

I stared back at my roommate.

"I'm sorry Frei, it's just... what you're doing, what you want, I went there before. It didn't go well. For no one."

Her fists were closed.

"I would still like to go there tomorrow." She insisted.

I sighed.

"Alright, I'll come with you. But not to stay there as your VIP. I'll be there as a friend. If I get recognized though, you'll have to protect me from judgemental stares."

Something special appeared in her eyes. Something I didn't recognize.

"You girls going somewhere?" Henry asked. Both he and his girlfriend joined us around the table.

Frei looked down.

"We're going to say hi to her dad. She can tell you more if she wants to." I explained.

"I'll tell Fanny-chan and Henry-san tomorrow."

Henry lifted a plastic bag, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Way too heavy conversation. You two may not be, but we certainly are taking a holiday. Holidays mean drinks. So here we go."

He pulled out two bottles of sake.

Frei made a disgusted stare.

Henry looked appaled at her reaction.

"It's supposed to be your heritage!"

"I prefer my Bayern one if I had to choose on that account."

I laughed. "Where's the beer?"

He reluctantly pulled a six-pack out of the bag.

"Don't mind them honey, we'll look sophisticated while they look uneducated." Fanny comforted him.

Frei grabbed a beer, her timidity forgotten, and began to drink it from the can.

I did the same.

Henry poured himself and his girlfriend a glass of sake.

"To the uneducated who pay for this trip!" He said, raising his glass.

"My father is paying for this trip, and he's currently working at the CERN, as such, I object to that statement." I raised my can.

"Oh shut up Sasss." Fanny teased.

Frei lifted her can in silence, then took a gulp.

One hour later Henry was already saying crap, Fanny sleeping in his lap.

"Technically, I've got myself a harem now! Three girls to myself!"

"Very roughly, yes." The sake was stronger than expected.

"Fwy weer you so mean with me Siass, I though we were gettiiing closser." My bodyguard asked me. Her job a bit forgotten.

She only drank two cans of beer, but unfortunately for her, she most certainly got the asian genes about alcohol.

"I was beginning to l..like ouu."

"Yeah, yeah. I was mean. I cared, I'm always mean when I care."

"That's stupid." She said back.

"Yeah she's right!" Fanny shouted her eyes still closed, throwing an arm in the air. It fell back flatly.

But not before hitting Henry in the chin.

That sobered him up a bit.

"Erm, we're gonna go to bed, see you tomorrow." And he dragged my best friend away with him.

"Siiiiiaaaaaaas..." I had my own drunk to take care of.

"Yeah, yeah, let's get you to bed."

"Let's take a bbaath togtogefdbxcx" Her eyelids just closed.

"Very tempting sure, you're drooling." I noticed.

"Rghmph."

I sighed, took her in my arms and layed her on her bed.

I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth, and went to sleep as well.

I could hear Frei slightly snoring a few meters away.

I liked sleeping with friends around, It always felt peaceful for me.

That feeling shouldn't last though.

Tomorrow, I had to take my life back.

But Kyoto wasn't finished with me yet.