Nero smirked.

"I'm not a Shinigami." He said calmly before he slashed at a Hollow attacking him from behind "I have powers similar to a Shinigami's but I'm not one."

He turned to face the Hollow he just struck and ducked under its wild swing before stabbing is sword up into its extended arm. The Hollow roared as it tried to grab him with its other hand oly for him to disappear in a Sonido and appear above it. He slashed downwards as he fell, cutting the Hollows head in half as he did.

"Rukia didn't even know about me... and Hana only knows because I had to save her from being eaten a day or so ago." He told the Substitue "You can try asking Rukia about me but th ebest you'll get is what Hana tells her... if Hana tells her anything that is."

He then blocked a Hollows fist with one hand and easily threw it back before slicing its face in half horizontally. He then turned to watch Ichigo fight for a bit, eager to see what the kid was capable of.