Markus, or rather Mahito, still broadly remembered the major plot points of Jujutsu Kaisen.
He knew that Jogo was about to get the beating of a lifetime, but he didn't speak out in any way. He saw no reason to.
'In the first place, I think Mahito would have appeared later on in the story, he should've been born in a month or two from this point...'
Some timeframes were still shady in his mind. But he at least knew what to look out for.
One thing he had noticed was that he was born early. Kenjaku himself had remarked that at some point, his soul had fully matured seemingly overnight.
It was unusual, but Special Grade Curses were known for being unique.
A precedent for a human soul taking over a Cursed Spirit in the womb didn't exist, so the thought didn't even cross Kenjaku's mind.
And there was a good reason for that...
'My soul, right now, is not that of a human...'
It was something he observed as he walked through the streets for the first time. No one was able to see him, of course, but he could see them; he could see their souls.
It would've felt lonely if not for the fact that he couldn't really feel the same type of kinship with them as he had in the past.
It must have been the sheer amount of hatred that formed his very body. The fear that humans had for their own kind.
As a Cursed Spirit, he was far too different from a human. And as a Special Grade, he was inexplicably stronger.
Mahito felt as if he could manipulate their souls to his will at the simplest touch of his palm. And, despite his previously human past, Markus was not bothered by the thought at all.
He felt a desire to experiment with his technique on them, to properly check what worked and what didn't.
That was surely how Mahito felt as well. As a newborn curse, he had no reason to resist such desires either.
But Markus was different. He felt that it was... Tasteless to take in and manipulate the souls of helpless humans.
He felt odd, thinking of humans with the same fondness that he would have a pet in the past.
But at the same time, he knew there were some humans whose lives would provide more value to society if they were stuffed in his pockets as small, fleshy totems.
All his previous life, he had lived amongst parasites that used their powers similarly to the original Mahito.
Rich men used their influence to manipulate and morph the minds of the people around them, making all of their actions acceptable and without recourse.
He had been a cog in that machine as well, helping them keep their noses clean and out of the water.
He had inside knowledge on a lot of dealings within that Hollywood Sphere, and it was no wonder that he had never made it out of that god forsaken city.
Even his death, he suspected that it was the doing of one of his more influential former clients.
No one but a scant few knew that he was retiring, but money could move mountains and ruin friendships at the snap of a finger...
Really, some people just deserved to end up as 'Transfigured Humans'.
'No point in dwelling on that...' Markus was no longer of that world; he was now in a completely new world. With a new identity and new worries.
Kenjaku made some of the people he had worked for in the past look like circus clowns with how evil he seemed to be.
But that evilness was not one born out of hatred; he was just selfish. He cared for none but himself and his entertainment. That was exactly what made him so difficult to deal with.
Mahito knew one thing... He had to get stronger, get a better understanding of his cursed energy and technique.
And so, the Special Grade Curse wondered how to explore his abilities. Manipulating human souls was morally dubious in one aspect. But regular humans were also weak in general; they would break if modified recklessly.
He already had a basic framework from what he remembered from the show, but he also had his own ideas on how to use his technique.
As he pondered on those ideals, the Special Grade Curses at the table continued to argue, mainly Jogo, claiming he could go and off Gojo Satoru right away, even saying he'd add the prison realm to his collection instead of using it on some mere human.
It was funny to hear, especially when considering how weak Jogo was to Gojo.
"Very well then... You can give it a shot, Jogo. Just remember, you will die." Kenjaku, like always, didn't seem to care if Jogo was to die.
'Maybe he's looking to fully test how powerful Gojo is. Quite reckless of him~' Mahito didn't voice out his thoughts; He kept an innocent look on his face as he looked back and forth between the Ancient Sorcerer and the Vulcanic Cursed spirit.
Jogo then did something that Mahito had forgotten would happen.
The temperature around the entire table rose, and, in an instant, humans started catching fire all around the restaurant.
The smell of burnt flesh was familiar, the screams of agony the same. It all felt so much more real than in the show...
Thankfully, Mahito managed to control his emotions, not react in any way to the Vulcanic Curse's departure aside from a friendly wave.
"Hanami, I'll rely on you to rescue him after he loses... Gojo isn't likely to kill him right away." Kenjaku slowly stood up as well, brushing the ashes of a server off of his shoulders before nodding to the Hanami, the forest Special Grade Curse.
Hanami didn't respond; she merely nodded and slowly left, Dagon following behind her.
Kenjaku also didn't stick around; he smiled and headed for the exit.
"Mahito, it's better if you take some time to get more accustomed to cursed energy and your technique. Remember to stay out of sight~"
To Mahito's relief, Kenjaku didn't plan on taking him along for whatever ride he was heading on.
'Good... This gives me some time at least.'
And so, Mahito left the restaurant, glancing only once towards the carbonised remains of the humans that had worked or relaxed there.
'May your pitiful souls rest in peace. But I can't afford to show much weakness now.'
He didn't perform any action aside from sparing them a thought. He was concerned about Kenjaku still keeping an eye on him.
As soon as he left the cafe, he sighed, as the people walking the streets seemed to seamlessly part, making way for him.
No commotion or any sign that the screams of those suffering inside were heard, as it seemed that Kenjaku had erected a barrier ahead of time.
It seemed to serve more than one effect, one was to soundproof the inside, the other was to prevent regular humans from wanting to go in.
It was wonderous. Seeing the types of ways that Jujutsu Sorcery could affect the minds of others.
Still, Jujutsu Sorcerers were going to find those bodies later, but that would likely only happen after Jogo made his move, trying to claim the title of the strongest from Gojo.
Their battle was going to happen that same night.
Mahito already knew how it would end and that it would alert the Jujutsu World to the presence of the Disaster Curses.
It was all likely part of Kenjaku's plan, somehow. Otherwise, he wouldn't have let Jogo go in the first place.
'None of that concerns me now, though... First things first. Let's find a secluded area.'
"If I'm to thrive in this world, I'll need allies. Or tools~"