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The charm in Linuen's right ear rang and then he landed with a soft tap on the area. He looked around and saw that the place seem to be a mess like when he left it before several days ago; it was his training with Shizuka. Taking a sigh, he settled his Zanpakutou on the ground and he began stretching his limbs. Shizuka called him for some training though he did not know the nature of the activity. He wouldn't be that much worried though, his newly acquired Zanpakutou would protect him.

Isn't that right, Alestha?

A small girl dressed in white appeared in front of him; she looked at him with an emotionless face and did not say a word for a while. "Getting to know my name doesn't indicate that you have control over me, Linuen." She said stiffly; Linuen felt the area around him grow cold. "And if she kills you, I wouldn't mind too much." Linuen's face instantly began scarlet red and looked murderous. He exclaimed in rage and then marched towards Alestha but she disappeared at once and he looked around like some rave lunatic for her.

"b***h!" he yelled.

Linuen gave off a clumsy laugh as soon as Shizuka arrived at the scene. He scratched his head and then blushed furiously. Why of all people his captain had to hear that?! Alestha will be getting that sooner or later. That b***h. Anyways, he had to focus because the training was about to start and that he needed to focus.

However, he was taken aback when Shizuka activated her "Mangetsu" once again. He was shocked to see her sword disappear once more and then was replaced by a mirror. Was she taking him back to his Sensei again? And then the thought hit him, the training... There was a blinding light and then Linuen felt drowsy all of the sudden. Where will be they meeting his Sensei now? He wondered even though he was quite worried of Shizuka and at the same time, happy because he will get to see his Sensei once again.

There was a spinning stick that flung into the air and instantly hit Linuen's forehead. Linuen landed at the ground with a loud thud and then managed to let go a yelp of pain as he clutched where the stick hit. That hurt a lot! "Hey! What's the matter, punk?!" he exclaimed in rage even though he was still blinded by Shizuka's skill.

"Oh, so you want to fight me now, eh?" A familiar voice said, obviously in the tone of offended. Linuen focused his eyes and was overwhelmed with shock as he Kei Aoi standing before him in his irritated face; oh, he never liked that expression of his Sensei. Then, with a swift move, Kei picked Linuen's ear and then pulled him upwards. Linuen was helpless for his greatest weakness, his ears. "Look how pathetic you are!" Kei yelled at him. "Pulled by the ears like some kid! I'm ashamed of you! And you attempted to trashtalk me?"

"I'm sorry! Shizuka-Taichou!" Linuen exclaimed in fear.

Kei stared at Shizuka for a moment and then slowl let go of Linuen. The young-looking Linuen immediately dashed behind Shizuka and hid from his Sensei's presence. He trembled in fear to get his ear picked again. Meanwhile, the former Fourth Division captain (in the real world) looked at Shizuka suspiciously. Then, he took a sigh and then sat by a near bench. They were actually behind a huge house in an overly spacious garden that was well kept. In the middle of the garden was a humongous Koi pond that has some benches around it; Kei sat at one as he looked like deep in thought.

"Interesting..." Kei Aoi said softly, looking at the skies. "A skill that can recreate the past or memories of a certain someone." It was that moment when Linuen came back to his normal image, a tall man with handsome features. He walked from behind Shizuka and showed himself to his Sensei. Kei looked at him with awe with a slight smile drawn on his face that never disappeared as Linuen could remember it.

"You've grown taller, Linuen..." Kei Aoi. "I must've been out for a while. So sad... Please don't tell me the years that passed; I feel like aging now." He added and then laughed. Suddenly, a woman dress in ocean blue gown appeared beside Kei and then caressed his shoulders; Kei sighed with a slightly tired tone. Falhannah looked at Shizuka with utmost curiosity. "Is Akira-Taichou still there?" Kei asked suddenly, smiling at the ebony-haired woman.

Kei Aoi took a sigh and then looked at the sky for a brief moment before facing Shizuka again. It must be tough for Linuen's Sensei, past and present colliding before him in one moment. If it was Linuen, he would panic for he was never good at these kind of moments. It was always like he remembered from back then, his Sensei had been composed all of the time. Never in his life had he seen his Sensei in a state of panic and out of control; it was simply not like Kei. Linuen smiled by the thought of it for this kinf of moments made him think that he was glad that he was not able to witness his Sensei's death.

Ever since he was a kid, Linuen's thought of someone dying had been the same. If someone he knew was going to die, he always wanted not to see them at all. Why, you ask? Because he wanted to remember those said persons like when they were alive and well, not when they're dead; he wanted the thoughts of them like when they were still happy and talking to Linuen. So, that's why even though it was really sad that his Sensei left him in the present time, he was glad... he was glad that he did not witness his Sensei's death. And all this time, all Linuen remember are the moments he most treasured with his Sensei.

"You're going to cry again, I just know it." Kei Aoi said suddenly, looking at Linuen. True to his suspicion, Linuen barely noticed that his eyes were now watering. He immediately wiped it off and then gave off a brief chuckle, looking for a reason to shake off the thought that he was going to cry again. Kei took a sigh and then shook his head disapprovingly. "You've grown tall and strong but you're still a crybaby." His Sensei said and then stood up, Falhannah looking at Kei with a concerned look on her face. "Crying is not bad, no, Linuen-kun. However, there are times when crying is not productive at all. It does not mean that crying shows us that we are weak, that we are brittle, no indeed. But..." he paused and then looked at Linuen with a smile on his face. "There are times when you need to be strong and accept the facts. Learn from it and do not grieve from it. Tears bring only the most painful emotions and crying at your most difficult times would sometimes do nothing good for oneself. If this is truly an imaginary world created by this lady-Taichou here, then it most likely that I am now gone from the real world.

"Do not be sad about it, Linuen-kun. For as they say, the one you truly love stays at your heart all of the time. And you knew that I was there all the time. If not, there would be no chance at all in creating this world." Kei Aoi said and then faced the pond. "So, do not cry. I believe you wasted most of your tears throughout the years that is enough for a lifetime of crying." He added and then laughed. Ironically enough, Linuen found himself crying once more but he tried his best stopping it. He began to wipe off the tears himself and tried to stand up straight as he looked at his Sensei. Then, Kei faced Shizuka and smiled at her.

"I do believe you're doing your best to teach him, yes?" Kei Aoi asked her and then made another warm smile.

Kei looked at Shizuka for a moment before shifting to Linuen. The apprentice of Kei Aoi blushed suddenly and then turned his attention on something else to avoid eye-contact at his Sensei. Then, Kei smiled and then clasped his hands in glee. He walked towards Shizuka and then shook her hands suddenly.

"Finally!" Kei Aoi exclaimed suddenly. "I was beginning to wonder that Linuen-kun was really hopeless in Kido! I am certainly surprised to know that he he knew to handle Kido well! And that's not all, I am very proud of him that he knew his Zanpakutou's name!" Kei said and then paused, turning to Linuen. "Any other Sensei wouldn't be anymore happier. #75, Quintet of 1 kan iron Pillars." Within a short snapping sound, five incerdibly tall pillars fell from the sky with loud thuds around Shizuka. However, before she could even react, three triangular barriers appeared around her and enclosed her inside, making her trapped inside a huge pyramid confinement; Falhannah stood beside the huge pyramid and observed Shizuka in silence as she kept her nearly-indestructible barriers around the Seventh Division captain.

Kei Aoi smiled and the whole area was encased in a gigantic vortex of water that immediately consumed the imaginary garden of Kei's home. Linuen stood in astonishment as one of Kei Aoi's strongest skills materialized around them. His Sensei raised his arms and then pointed his hand at him. "Now, let us see then." Linuen's eyes widened in shock as a massive burst of pressure erupted below him as the water from the ground burst forth.

Kei Aoi slightly frowned when he saw the entirety of the watery vortex become frozen solid before his eyes. He was not sad but rather impressed. He looked around as the raging attack from him became still and gave off a chilling feeling around the area. The former Fourth Division captain looked at his Zanpakutou, Falhannah, and then saw her concerned expression. He nodded at her and then she gave off a soft sigh, a chilly smoke forming in front of her. "Don't worry too much about the young, Shizuka-Taichou." Falhannah softly said at Shizuka as soon as Kei Aoi turned his head against their direction. "You do not need to send him help all the time. You seem to misunderstand the strength of my powers. Though we may be in your reality, the strength of Linuen's memories keep us two real therefore I am concluding that our skills and intelligence remains like before. If that is true, then you are severely misunderstanding my powers." She paused and gave off another sigh that sent a thicker cold smoke from her mouth. "Using my reiatsu, I can separate you from at the present 'reality' therefore closing you on this world via an extremely durable shield. That is why no one can harm you on the outside while you will not be able to escape from the inside easily. While you're there, you're in my reality thus giving me the ability to know what you think, see, feel, hear, even taste. You need not to help Linuen on this one." She said and then gazed at the Seventh Division captain that was locked inside the pyramid. Shizuka was strong enough to break that however being bound by the #75 Bakudo, it will take her some strength to get out and help Linuen.

Kei Aoi looked at the standing figure of his former apprentice, Linuen Frost, with a smile on his face. He clasped his hands together again and then gave off a short chuckle. "Well done! Well done! You've done a fine thing, Linuen-kun." Kei said happily. Linuen was breathing hoarsely and then thought of asking some help to his present captain however his thoughts disintegrated when he saw her stuck in between five huge pillars and also inside a huge glowing pyramid that he saw once before; he knew that it was Falhannah's barriers.

"Why are you keeping Shizuka-Taichou away, Sensei?" Linuen asked, his thoughts running with a lot of questions.

Kei shook his head. "This is for your own good, Linuen. This will show me what you have been training all these years. You will show me what you've learned and I do not want someone helping you out. She gave you help in your Shikai and seems that she thought you some things about life too." Kei paused. "However, you are now facing me. You are no longer my apprentice, Linuen. You are now someone on the same level with me. It is now time that we battle to our fullest."

"Sensei!"

"NO!" Kei yelled suddenly, his voice so strong that it sent of a colder feeling than the frozen vortex that formed around the destroyed garden. "I seem to have left you early so I didn't have the chance to see you grow up! This time, I shall see it! And this time, I know you will make me proud! FALHANNAH!"

The woman beside the pyramid bowed her head and then nodded. In that instant, a square-shaped blade formed in Kei's hands and then put up his battle stance. Linuen was dumbfounded for a moment before he closed his eyes to accept what he must do. There was a snapping sound and a spear appeared in Linuen's hands.

"Alestha, a Zanpakutou that freezes everything, from Kido to wind itself. Be prepared, Sensei!" Linuen exclaimed.

Kei smiled.

There was a sharp snapping sound and chunks of ice shards flung around the area. Kei Aoi stood amazed while Linuen never looked so pale in his life. The young man looked at his former Sensei with a shocked look on his face as he pointed his spear at him. It was only a moment later when Linuen's arms began to shake with horror and nervousness.

"What's wrong, Linuen-kun?" Kei Aoi gently asked as he began walking towards the boy; Linuen shook his head in horror and began to back his steps. "You have a great advantage in this battle. Your ice-type abilities can literally freeze my water skills. However, do not be arrogant." Kei said and then raised a finger, as if warning him. "Though you have frozen my water, there will always be an existence of water within it. In other words, though you have strong control over the ice property, please do not ignore that my ability is also about water manipulation. Now, considering that I can still control the shards even though I have the least reiatsu over it, I can still bend it due to the difference of our reiatsu.

"Simply, I am going to crush your Zanpakutou."

Meanwhile, Falhannah looked at Shizuka. "You're being too arrogant. However, you do have the right to be when we're in this place. Oh... That's why I am keeping you here, Shizuka-Taichou." She said and then smiled at the Seventh Division captain. "Because this battle is between to full-grown men now... My task is to stop you until this battle is done."

It was only a single moment when jets of water brust from the ground and shot upwards, striking Linuen at the same time. Struck by panic, Linuen let out a cry of pain as several of the jets hit his body and caused serious slash-like damage at his body. He immediately skipped out of the area where the skill was used and then waved his spear, therefore freezing water all around him, even those underground. He gave off a cold sigh as he looked at his Sensei, who was now raising his hands pointing at the young man.

"Are you scared?" Kei Aoi asked.

Linuen didn't know what to say.