Kalia's training for his fullbring was tough and tiring, especially since she couldn't use her soul reaper powers. She had to use her actual, physical body and it was tough. Right now, Kalia was in the training grounds and was sweating up a river as she did some pushups. Isabella had her foot against Kalia's back.

"Come on, you can do it." Isabella said.

"Easy for you to say. I like to see you do a hundred of these." Kalia said.

"That reminds me of something." Chad said. He grabbed Isabella and put her on the ground. "You should be doing these yourself. Your fullbring is still in the process of being formed. You're not quite there yet."

"Fine." Isabella said in a complaining tone. She got down and started doing some pushups herself. As they were doing their training, Ryo was there as he was observing.

"This is worse than gym class." Kalia said.

"It can't be that bad." Ryo said.

"Come over here and you try it and double what we're doing, I dare you." Kalia said. She looked around and saw that Sai and Michael weren't anywhere around. "Hey, where are Sai and Michael?"

"They stepped out to do some training of their own." Ryo said and it was true. Michael was in the woods as he practiced using his wind powers. He felt he wasn't getting very far at his current strength so he decided to add on to it. Sai trained himself as he did a serious of workouts to help him be stronger physically and to help him build up more power. "Well, I think I'm going to head out."

"Are you sure?" Chad said.

"I'm not needed here. I think I'll do some of my own training." Ryo said as he left.

"Take me with you." Kalia whispered.

Jigoku

Oromaus was enjoying a nice cup of tea and cookies. He heard footsteps approaching him and he looked down below and saw Tetsuda.

"Is something wrong Tetsuda?" Oromaus said.

"Nothing my lord. I just came to inform you that I'm heading for Karakura Town." Tetsuda said. "What should I do in case the substitute soul reaper and her friends were to arrive?"

"That's simple, kill them. Before you go, would you like to have some tea?" Oromaus said.

"No thank you. You may treat me to one after I bring you victory." Tetsuda said.

"Very well. Just go and do what you can." Oromaus said. Tetsuda understood and stepped away. He was moving down the hall when he heard someone approaching him. He stopped and saw Masco step out in front of him.

"What do you want from me, Masco?" Tetsuda said.

"I heard you're heading for Karakura Town." Masco said.

"Don't bother asking if you want to go. This is my task, not yours." Tetsuda said as he stepped passed Masco and tried to ignore him.

"Don't be a stick in the mud. This shouldn't be too difficult for you. That girl is a pushover." Masco said.

"You should never underestimate your enemy." Tetsuda said.

"It's a done deal. Besides, out of all of us, you're the most loyal to Oromaus." Masco said. "If by some miracle those pathetic soul reapers end up killing you, it would be tragedy."

"I'll be fine." Tetsuda said. He was confident in his abilities and he wasn't going to let anyone interfere in Oromaus' plans.

Ryo

Ryo was just walking through Karakura Town. He was about to find a place to go and do some of his own training, but he felt someone grabbed his shoulder. Thinking it was an enemy, he turned and looked ready to fight, but it wasn't an enemy.

"Captain Hatake?" Ryo said. It was his captain, Doramin Hatake, in a gigai.

"There you are Ryo, I've been looking for you." Doramin said. Both of them found a café for them to sit and talk.

"It's good to see you, captain. What are you doing here in the world of the living?" Ryo said.

"I wanted to speak to you about this new enemy we might have to deal with." Doramin said.

"Oh, you mean the Seven Jigoku. I'm sorry sir, but I don't know much more than I already told you." Ryo said.

"I see. I find it strange that a group of humans even know about the gates of hell." Doramin said. "What I fail to understand as to what reason they could possibly have for even opening such a thing."

"They are a mystery. They are powerful as well." Ryo said. "One of them was able to hold their own against Kalia when she was in her bankai. It's even more frightening when one of them was able to pin her down when she used her Hikari Suteppu."

"One of them is that skilled? That is troubling." Doramin said. "Ryo, there is something else I wanted to speak to you about. It's about your position in my squad."

"My position?" Ryo said. Before Doramin could elaborate, they felt strong spiritual pressure, but it wasn't a hollow. In another part of town, people were running and screaming. Tetsuda was causing chaos as he was attacking everything in his sight.

'I shall not fail. I will do what I must to secure victory for my lord.'Tetsuda thought at he kept attacking.

"That is enough!" He looked up a building and saw Doramin and Ryo in their soul reaper forms and were staring down at him from the top of a building's roof.

"I remember you, you're a friend of Kalia Kurosaki." Tetsuda said and looked at Doramin. "You must be one of the captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads."

"I am Captain Hatake, captain of squad eight."

"A pleasure to meet you. My name is Tetsuda Jakle. I expected the substitute soul reaper to come, but it looks like I got something just as good."

"Why are you here? What purpose could you have for attacking innocent people? I thought you wanted to open the gates of hell." Ryo said.

"We do. My purpose won't need to be explained to those who will be dead." Tetsuda said. He held up his trident and started rotating it above his head. He was starting to store electricity on the end and shot a blast of lightning. Both of them used the flash step and avoided his attack.

"That was close. Even with the use of the flash step, we barely dodged his attack." Ryo said.

"You won't escape my wrath!" Tetsuda said and went to attack Ryo with his trident out.

"Sing, Utatori!" Ryo had his zanpakuto change and was able to stop his attack.

"Melt, Ginhebi." Doramin said and had the liquid metal of his zanpakuto attack Tetsuda. Tetsuda saw it coming and moved out of the way.

"You're fast, but let's see if you're as fast as the speed of sound." Ryo said. He held out his zanpakuto and created a sound wave that would be painful to the enemy's ears.

"Stop that!" Tetsuda said and tossed the trident. Ryo had to stop the sound and used his weapon to block the trident. He was able to, but the trident bounced off and Ryo was pushed back by the recoil. Tetsuda moved quickly and grabbed the trident.

"You didn't forget about me, have you?" Doramin said. He had the liquid metal form a ring around Tetsuda and created spike on the inside.

"Nice try." Tetsuda said. Doramin had the ring close around him, but Tetsuda used his trident and hoisted himself up to avoid it. "I will not fall to a mere soul reaper." He pulled out his trident and had it store electricity again. He shot the lightning and blasted Doramin. Doramin used the flash step to avoid it, but still felt some of the power as he rolled against the ground.

"Captain!" Ryo shouted in concern.

"You should be more concerned for yourself." Tetsuda said as he went to attack Ryo head on. Tetsuda swung his spear around and kept thrusting it at Ryo and Ryo tried his best to block the attacks. "For the sake of Oromaus' goals, I can't be defeated."

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you will be defeated." Ryo said as he swung his sword at Tetsuda's face, but he tilted his head for it to miss and Tetsuda jumped back. "Are you despite to make Oromau's goals a reality that you're willing to kill fellow humans?"

"I am. My services to Lord Oromaus has no limit. I owe my life to him." Tetsuda said. Tetsuda was loyal to Oromaus since the day they met.

Flashback

'I'll never forget the day I met Oromaus. Ever since I was a young boy, I could see spirits and I drew the hollows to me.' Tetsuda was running for his life as a hollow was after him. Tetsuda tripped over a root and he had no time to get back up as the hollow was right on top of him. He thought his life would come to an end until something slashed the hollow down the center.

"Are you alright?" Tetsuda looked and was met with Oromaus as he stood in front of the sun. "You really should learn to mask your spiritual pressure. That's why the hollows are after you." Oromaus said.

"You know about this?" Tetsuda said.

"Of course, lots of humans have this kind of trouble." Oromaus said. "However you have much inside you that must be dying to get out. What would you say to joining me?"

"I don't even know who you are." Tetsuda said.

"That shouldn't matter. I can help you have more power than you could ever imagine." Oromaus said. Tetsuda just sat there and stared at amazement. He didn't know if it was the fact that he saved his life or this strange feeling he got from him, but Tetsuda decided to join him.

'I followed Oromaus' will from that day. He shown me how to wield a weapon and how I could use my power. I've never doubted his desires.'

End of Flashback

"Try and talk some sense to me all you like, it won't change a thing." Tetsuda said. "I have my orders to kill you and I will follow through."

"I see, you stay loyal to Oromaus. I'm the same to my squad and to my friends." Ryo said. "It's thanks to them that I've grown as strong as I am."

"That's just how I feel about Oromaus." Tetsuda said.

"Then let's see which kind of loyalty has provided the most strength. Of course, I would want to avoid killing you since a soul reaper isn't suppose to kill a human." Ryo said as he took a battle stance.

"I don't need to fight you for you to see it." Tetsuda said and decided to go all out. He unleashed his spiritual pressure at full power as he released it all and the power created a great force of wind.

'I didn't think he would have this much power. This spiritual pressure is heavy, feels like there's a mansion weighed on my back.' Ryo thought. He assumed he was in trouble until he felt another rise of spiritual pressure.

"Bankai!" They both saw Doramin released his second sword form. The sword completely melted and a giant puddle of liquid metal. Then it gathered together and formed a serpent made of liquid metal. "Gosei Ginhebi (Gosei gin hebi: synthetic silver snake). You holder greater power than I ever expected. It would seem I'm forced to use this bankai to stop you. Ryo stay back."

"Yes sir." Ryo said and moved away.

"That doesn't scare me." Tetsuda said. Doramin had the snake attack, but Tetsuda jumped over it.

"Run all you like. My bankai can still change its form." Doramin said. The snake had spikes grow out of its back and stretched them out to attack Tetsuda. Tetsuda used his trident and swatted the spikes away. The serpent slithered up and opened its mouth and closed it as it ensnared around Tetsuda, but Tetsuda was able to burst himself free with some electricity.

"If this is all your bankai can do, it won't help." Tetsuda said.

"I'm not done yet." Doramin said. Doramin command the snake to launch bullets of liquid metal from its mouth. Tetsuda spun the trident around and was able to block each one and Ryo kept watching as this went on.

'That's the power of Captain Hatake's bankai. He's able to command that snake with just a thought and holds the power of a destructive beast.' Ryo thought. 'Though this Tetsuda is able to hold his own against it. There must be a way we can defeat him.' Ryo thought it over, but he looked at the weapons and had an idea. 'That might work.'

"It's pointless." Tetsuda said as he avoided another attack.

"Captain Hatake, I have an idea that could help us win." Ryo said.

"If so, go for it. I will let you take the lead, but be careful." Doramin said and Ryo understood. He went forward for a head on attack.

"Didn't I just say that it's pointless? Nothing you try will work." Tetsuda said. Ryo brought his sword back and swung with full might. Tetsuda used his trident to block it, but that was a mistake. The sound of the collision ran in his ear and it was like someone rang bells in his ear. He couldn't stand the sound and was force to let go.

"It worked. Thanks to my zanpakuto's ability, I knew the sound would cause some damage if out weapons collided." Ryo said. Doramin had the snake wrap its tail around Tetsuda and had him trapped.

"Surrender. We're keeping you alive so that you can answer some questions." Doramin said. Tetsuda could not allow this to happen. He would never sell out Oromaus. "Is something the matter besides the fact you're captured?"

"You spoke of loyalty, soul reaper. Well, this is how far I'm willing to go for Oromaus. This will prove how loyal I am to him." Tetsuda said. He used his power to control the trident telepathically. He had the trident fly through the liquid metal and pierced his chest.

"What are you doing?" Ryo said.

"I said that I would give my life for Oromaus and I have." Tetsuda said as he coughed up blood. He died where he was and held no regrets for the decision he made.

"I can't believe he would be that loyal to his leader, to throw away his own life just to keep the secrets safe." Doramin said. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone go so far." That reminded him on what he wanted to talk to Ryo about. "Speaking of loyalty, there's still something I wanted to talk to you about."

"What is it?" Ryo said.

"Ryo, you know I see you like my own son and I'm proud of the man you've become." Doramin said. "You served us well and my squad is the only one without a lieutenant. Ryo, I would like to make you my lieutenant." Ryo couldn't believe it, he could actually be lieutenant. Another showing of loyal Ryo was to his squad. So it shall remain unclear who's loyalty was stronger.

To Be Continued…