stood at the center of the inner sanctum. Surrounding it, large buildings which likely served as armories and housing.

"To the church!", 34 commanded Bandana. "It's the last place the humans can hide!"

"Yes, master." Bandanna nervously looked at 34 in fear, replying subserviently.

As the air raid siren continued to sound, 34 ran ahead of the Bandana man. Approaching the church's entrance as they ran over cobblestone, A group of men emerged from the building, rifles in hand.

"Protect the church!", The men yelled, concern and anger in their eyes. Forming two lines, with crouched men in front, triggers were pulled, guns erupting with flames.

34 smiled at the sight of talentless humans. Their small arms were nothing compared to the .50 caliber and mortars he had just dealt with. A quick blast of Ionic Shock was let loose, both drawing in bullets and mortally electrocuting 34's enemies in a single strike.

The large zapping sound left mothing but charred bodies and smoking barrels. 34 stopped at the entrance, looking down at the murdered men.

"Tsk", the pompous 34 bawked, not staring for long. "Weak men, good riddance."

Bandanna followed 34, trying not to look at the fallen men.

The two walked through the entrance, opening it's large wooden doors. More fearful men with guns were quickly dispatched with more blasts of Ionic Shock.

"ZAP!"

34 and Bandana entered the sanctuary, floor littered with blankets, pillows, backpacks and other supplies. People had been sheltered here.

Cries were heard from the church's interior.

"They're fleeing to the basement!", 34 deduced.

34 ran beyond the alter, scanning from left to right for the remaining humans. Down a large hallway, cries of panic were heard. 34 spotted women and children, madly shuffling through a large door to the basement.

The last of the group was pushed through the doorway, as an elterly woman stayed behind, closing the door and standing between it and 34.

With her back to the door, the woman stretched her hands to her sides.

"Get out of my way!", 34 shouted as he came within firing range. Tears built up in the woman's eyes as she held her position, arms blocking the door.

34 projected a ball of Ionic Shock in front of hum, but hesitated to let it fly. He had killed so many times before, but in this woman's act of defiance in the name of protection before undeniable power, he was reminded of a time when he had done the same.

"You're a monster!", The woman spoke, her words breaking as tears run down her face.

The words struck 34. Like a slap to the face, 34 was forced to think. It wasn't long ago that he had been a captive, beaten, starved, and forced to kill. It wasn't long ago that 34 was free, with no ill will towards humanity.

But now was different. 34 may be a strong Esper, but there were stronger who were forcing his hand. The only way out of this mess was from the top of the pyramid. 34 had to become the strongest, only then would he be set free.

Beyond the door were hundreds of women and children. The clan wanted them dead, and 34 was in no position to bargain. It was their lives, or 34's life.

"There's no room for the weak in this world!", 34 had made his choice, and let Ionic Shock fly. The woman closed her eyes tightly, her tears cut off from flowing. In what she thought were her final moments, she turned her head to the side, yet kept her arms stretched, protecting what lay beyond the door.

Ionic Shock sped towards the woman like a bowling ball towards a single pin. 34 knew his target would fall just as easily, and he closed his eyes with a smile.

No familiar zap was heard, and 34 opened his eyes. Ionic shock hadn't made it's deadly contact, instead it was frozen in place, suspended by some unknown force.

"What's this?!", 34 stared in astonishment at his stopped projectile, while it's electric particles continued to spin. 34 looked at his servant who was equally confused.

"Is she an Esper?", 34 looked at the elderly woman, her teared up face still wincing in anticipation.

"No, she's not an Esper.", A confident new voice behind 34 echoed through the church hallway.

34 kept his hand held towards the frozen ball of Ionic Shock, as he turned to see an armored, blonde haired woman walking calmly towards him.

34 and Bandana peered at the woman with perplexed looks on their faces. Her shoulder length hair was in a ponytail, and she wore a blue tie partially visible beneath a shiny chestplate of brushed steel. Her long sleeve blouse was white with padded shoulders, and covering her legs was a white hakama, large pants often worn in martial arts. She was unarmed, walking with arms at her sides.

"What the hell?" 34 felt a sense of unease for the first time during this mission. "You aren't a human?"

"I'm a human", the woman explained as she continued to close the gap between her and 34. 34's unease grew as the bold woman grew closer. If she was really a human, there was no need to continue the conversation.

"Bandana, kill her!" 34 had a look of rage in his eyes as he commanded his lackey.

Bandana's confusion vanished as he heard the words. Nodding, he pointed two fingers at the woman as if he were holding a pistol. Reciting a mantra and blinking his eyes, the blue summoning circle formed in front of his fingers let out a focused vortex of wind, letting out a sonic boom as the wind spiralled towards the woman's unarmored face. At this distance, Bandana couldn't miss.

The woman stared forwards with a plain face. As the vortex spun within centimeters of her face, it disappeared instantly, as if it hadn't even been fired in the first place. The sonic boom which had started to reverberate within the hall was no more, it had been deleted completely.

"What just happened?" 34 had never seen anything like this. Had Bandana not shot at all?

Bandana stood with his fingers pointed, dumbfounded at what he had seen.

"Again, Bandana! Kill her!", 34 dissolved his original Ionic Shock, focusing all his attention towards the armor clad woman. "Ionic Shock!"

A ball of electricity spun up from in front of 34's hands, then rocketed towards the woman. The humming of the electricity neared the woman, before it disappeared completely. Ionic Shock had been dissolved.

"What is going on?!" 34 became frustrated. "Bring her down!!" he yelled, firing volley after volley of Ionic Shock towards the woman. She kept walking towards 34 as both he and Bandana fired their projections as fast as they could.

Each projectile dissolved within centimeters of the woman, as she calmly approached the two.

"What are you!?" 34 demanded, breathing heavily from fear and the mental stress of projecting.

The woman stopped meters ahead of 34, as 34 and Bandana stepped back, desperatelty trying to take her down with their projections. The plain look on her face changed to annoyed, and she rose one arm as if to signal a halt.

As if the woman had willed it, Ionic Shock and Wind Vortex could no longer be created. As if their Esper abilities had been stripped, 34 and Bandana could no longer create their summoning circles in front of their hands.

"You're no human!" 34 reeled back in terror. "Ionic Shock!", he desperately cried out with both palms forward.

"You're done." the woman decreed. "I've revoked your talents as an Esper."

34's eyes widened, the thought striking like a bolt of lightning. His whole existence was reliant on his Esper abilities. Those without abilities were weak, trash to be disposed of. Had he really been reduced to such a level? What kind of Esper could do such a thing?

"No way!" 34 couldn't believe what he was hearing, and wasn't aout to just stand there. "Bandana, get the old woman!"

As he ordered Bandana, 34 stepped towards the armored woman. Even without Esper abilities, the Esperin flowing through his veins would be enough to overpower her. 34's vision tunneled as he reached for her neck. 34's hands closed on the neck, gripping tightly at the flesh. 34's victim began gasping for air and choking as 34 intensified his grip. 34's eyes lit up at the feeling of power returning again.

34 looked up at his victim, expecting to see the pompous woman writing in pain. In her stead, Bandana was being strangled, as 34 had traded places with the old woman against the door.

"What the fuck?" 34 let go of Bandana as he held his own neck and coughed. "I didn't grab you! What the hell just happened?"

34 looked to the hallway with the armored woman still standing there. The old woman was in front of her where 34 had just been, with her arms still spread out and wincing face looking away.

"She's frozen?", 34 tried to rationalize what was going on, but there was no rationalizing this. The amount of abilities the armored woman posessed was astounding. "The clan has the strongest Espers in the world, no other group has stood up to us. Are you a traitor?" 34 demanded.

"You're probably right about your clan, but I'm not from your world. I'm from a diffent plane.", The woman replied with arms crossed. "Your clan has been terrorizing the vulnerable for decades. It took years, but they were able to reach out to us for aid. My Name's Tsubasa Hinata, fifth pillar of St. Ezreal's. Your clan's abominable reign of fear ends today."