Chapter 62: New Time New Ways!

JJ strolls through the streets of Mexico City, taking in the sights with a smile. Having never been here before, he finds the experience refreshing. He knows that back in his time, tensions between Mexico and America were high. It's nice to see that the two countries are on speaking terms now—though he wonders how long that will last.

Oh well, might as well enjoy it while it lasts.

As he walks, he spots Priscilla moving through the crowd alone. Shrugging, he decides to approach her.

"Hey! Priscilla, what's up? Did you do that thing with Luna?" he calls out, quickly crossing the road to join her.

Priscilla nods. "Yes, we did. Her brother is alive, though we don't know his exact condition. We suspect he's in Thailand."

JJ tilts his head. "Where the hell is Thailand? Is that in Asia or something?"

Priscilla chuckles. "Yes, in your time, it was referred to as Siam. The name changed to Thailand around 1939."

"Huh, strange. Well, I'm sure they had their reasons for the name change," JJ muses as they continue walking together.

Priscilla tilts her head. "Would you like to get something to eat with me? I feel like eating right now!"

JJ smiles. "Sure, though aren't you immortal? Do you even need to eat?"

Priscilla pauses for a moment, thinking. "Well, the main reason I eat is that it helps replenish mana, believe it or not."

JJ raises an eyebrow. "I mean, how often do you deplete your mana? I refuse to believe you need to constantly refill, so it has to be because you just want to eat!"

She lets out a laugh. "Fine, fine, you got me!"

JJ nods. "Still, pretty solid detective work on my part."

They arrive at a rather nice-looking restaurant, a respectable three-star establishment. Once seated, Priscilla glances around the room.

"Oh, there appear to be two werewolves here, and I'm certain one of the waiters is actually a skinwalker," she comments casually.

JJ stares at her, baffled at how she could piece any of this together, but then chalks it up to her senses being that good.

"So, I figure your senses have to be top-notch, but tell me, how do you know exactly?" JJ raises an eyebrow.

Priscilla stirs her drink. "Well, it's a little complex, but I can see the shape of their natural souls. You can shapeshift, change your body, get fatter or skinnier, but no matter what, your soul will rarely change. Their natural souls reveal what they truly are."

JJ points to himself. "What about me?"

Priscilla looks at JJ. "You have the outline of a human, but your soul appears to have traces of mana—pretty good reserves, actually. Your psycho waves are also quite impressive. Most humans also have a more blue-colored soul."

JJ raises an eyebrow. "Wait, so everyone has a color to their souls? Huh, that's actually pretty interesting."

Priscilla nods her head. "You, however, have a darker blue soul. Luna has a silver one, Sunny has a yellow and orange soul, Jamal has a red one, and Tera has a green soul. Your soul will change color if you awaken your will technique; however, the shape and outline remain the same."

JJ sips his drink. "Interesting, actually. I wonder if the colors mean anything beyond just being colors."

Priscilla shrugs. "Who knows? Seeing souls isn't too difficult, actually. I could teach you at some point."

JJ smiles. "I wouldn't mind learning something new, but how many people actually know how to do something like that?"

Priscilla pauses to think. "Actually, now that I think about it, I'm incredibly old. It used to be a common thing to teach hunters, and then, eventually, it stopped being taught. I might investigate why that is."

JJ folds the menu, placing it down, and looks at Priscilla, confused. "Why would they stop teaching a skill like that? It seems like it would save the lives of so many hunters, especially young and inexperienced ones. So many hunters die because they aren't able to identify what they're going after."

Priscilla nods her head. "Yes, I agree. However, I feel like hunters should only be taught this skill after they've been on a few successful hunts. I know that sounds bad, but the skill is only truly useful if you know what the outline of the monster is."

JJ nods his head. "Huh, well, I guess that makes a bit of sense. It's still a good tool for survival, though, so it really makes you wonder why they stopped teaching it. Well, I doubt we'll ever get an answer."

Priscilla chuckles. "Yes, one of life's ever-growing mysteries—like who built Stonehenge and what its purpose was. Well, believe it or not, I actually know the purpose."

JJ's eyebrow raises even further. "You know the purpose of Stonehenge!?"

Priscilla smirks. "I guess I can tell you! One of its purposes was as a ritual site to unlock people's will techniques. Another purpose was to send demons and devils back to hell. And the last one, off the top of my head, was as a ritual site to repair Excalibur, the holy sword!"

JJ's jaw nearly drops to the floor. "Wait, wait, wait—so are they still used today!?"

Priscilla shakes her head. "Not to my knowledge. They haven't been repaired in some time, and the method to do so has long been lost."

The waiter comes by with their food. JJ had ordered a plate of carne asada tacos, served with fresh cilantro, diced onions, lime wedges, and a side of Mexican rice and refried beans. A cold glass of horchata sat beside his plate, the sweet cinnamon flavor balancing out the savory meal.

Priscilla, on the other hand, had ordered chiles en nogada, a traditional Mexican dish consisting of poblano peppers stuffed with a rich mixture of meat, fruit, and spices, topped with a creamy walnut sauce and garnished with pomegranate seeds. She had chosen a glass of red wine to accompany her meal, appreciating the contrast between the sweetness of the dish and the dryness of the wine.

After enjoying their meal, they pay the bill and head into town to do some shopping, making the most of the rest of their stay in Mexico City.