Beep! Beep!
A van appeared at the intersection. The cavalry had arrived.
"Hey! Over here!" Alistair waved them down.
The van screeched to a halt. The window rolled down to reveal a woman with a pale, pretty face and a look of absolute boredom and nihilism.
"Hello. I'm the colleague of these two idiots. Here to pick up the trash." Her voice was flat.
"They're a bit fragile. One punch and they folded. Your organization needs better recruitment," Alistair said, holding the two men by their collars.
The woman lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and blew a smoke ring. "Traditionalist?" Alistair asked.
"Thanks for holding back. You can just drop them on the dirt," she said, her expression softening slightly.
"Just drop them?" Alistair was confused. Aren't you their teammate? Mustache's jaw was shattered.
"Can you... let go of my collar? I can't... breathe..." Owen croaked. Alistair let go, and Owen hit the ground, gasping.
Mustache's eyes flickered open. His jaw was visibly knitting itself back together. "Ugh... my neck... was I hanging?"
Her ability? Alistair looked at the woman with intense interest.
"My 'Weapon' is 'The Doctor'. Within my range, all injuries and illnesses heal. No limits. As long as they aren't dead, they stop getting worse and start getting better," she explained tonelessly.
"Whoa, interesting!" Alistair was genuinely impressed. This was comparable to his Horse talisman, and it was an Area of Effect (AoE) heal.
"I'm Jotaro Kujo. And you?"
"Hwa Momokawa."
"Don't you bring bodyguards? These two couldn't handle a single punch." Alistair leaned on the van window.
"The team is empty. They were just back on leave. Usually, you wouldn't even see the likes of them."
"There's no one in the Human Zone?"
"No. There's no opportunity to grow stronger here. Everyone here is just coasting for a paycheck. Like me." Hwa flicked her ash.
"Paid loitering? Can I sign up? I like free money," Alistair joked.
"Sometimes we have to work. Like now." Hwa flicked her cigarette butt. Sparks landed on the two men on the ground.
"AH! HOT! HOT!" They jumped up.
"Let's go. The 'bitches' are fighting, and that's not for us mere mortals to interfere with," Hwa said, referring to the succubus skirmish.
"Wait, Mr. Kujo," Owen said, still rubbing his stomach. "Would you consider joining us?"
"I'll think about it. I'd like to see your base first."
"Of course. Hop in."
Alistair climbed into the van. He was fascinated by Hwa. Her healing was incredible—it seemed to grant a form of immortality within her range. He needed her on his team.
They drove into a mountainous area. "This is your base? A forest?"
"Where else? A skyscraper? There are no Souls in the city. No point in a base there," Mustache said.
"Why are you guys so obsessed with 'Souls' anyway? And you call yourselves 'Weapon Users,' but the public calls you 'Exorcists'?"
"You aren't a Weapon User, so you wouldn't know. Our Weapons are gifts from God. We get stronger by hunting Souls. The Weapon absorbs their power, and in return, it boosts our spirit, our body, or both."
"And the abilities?" Alistair expanded his perception, looking for "Mystery" items.
"Everyone is different. Hwa's 'AoE Healing' is insane. No one messes with her because everyone needs a doctor eventually," Owen explained.
"Tsk," Mustache added. "The main reason she's safe is the old farts at the top. They're fragile and old. Hwa has no living family or friends to use as leverage. They treat her better than their own daughters because they want her as a private doctor. Plus, she has a passive self-heal. You could chop her into pieces and she'd put herself back together. If she didn't still age, the labs would have dissected her years ago."
A perfect healer, Alistair thought. I can't look after all my girls at once. I need an elite team. Hwa Momokawa... you're being recruited.