The crisp January air stung Souta's cheeks as he stepped out of his apartment, his breath forming small clouds in the early morning light. Winter in Fuyuki was colder than he remembered from his old life, the chill cutting through his thin jacket. He checked his watch - January 3rd, 1994. If his memories of the timeline were correct, the Fourth Holy Grail War had officially begun just days ago on New Year's Eve, when the first Servants were summoned across the city.
Souta's body still ached from last night's ritual, every movement sending dull pulses of pain through his newly awakened circuits. He flexed his fingers, feeling the unfamiliar energy humming beneath his skin. Twenty-seven high-quality circuits - more than enough to make him a player in this deadly game, if he could learn to use them properly. But time wasn't on his side. The War would be over in less than two weeks if it followed its original course, ending in fire and blood at the Ryuudou Temple.
His first priority had to be finding Ryuunosuke Uryuu before the serial killer could summon Caster. In the original timeline, that madman's summoning of Gilles de Rais had turned the War into an outright slaughter, drawing the attention of both the Church and Mage's Association. If Souta could intercept him, maybe he could prevent that catastrophe - and more importantly, secure a Servant for himself.
The streets of Shinto were quiet this early, the winter sun barely cresting over the buildings. Souta kept his pace casual as he walked, trying to appear like just another college student heading to class. But his eyes constantly scanned his surroundings, searching for any sign of Ryuunosuke's handiwork. The man would be hunting children already, using their blood and suffering as components for his summoning ritual.
As he turned a corner near the riverfront, a sudden prickle ran down his spine. Someone was watching him.
Souta forced himself not to react visibly, continuing his stroll while subtly glancing around. Then he saw him - standing near the entrance to a small chapel, his tall frame draped in black clergy robes. Kotomine Kirei.
The priest's dark eyes seemed to look right through him, that famously empty expression giving nothing away. Souta's pulse quickened. Kirei shouldn't know him, shouldn't have any reason to suspect him, but just being in the man's line of sight felt dangerous.
He turned down a side street, fighting the urge to break into a run. That had been too close. If Kirei was already active in the city, then the other Masters wouldn't be far behind. Tokiomi Tohsaka would have summoned Archer by now. The Einzbern homunculus would be preparing to deploy Saber. And somewhere in the industrial district, Kiritsugu Emiya was likely already setting his brutal plans in motion.
Souta ducked into a small coffee shop to collect his thoughts. The warm interior smelled of fresh grounds and baked goods, a stark contrast to the cold tension outside. He ordered a black coffee and took a seat by the window, watching the street through the fogged glass.
His original plan had been simple: find Ryuunosuke, prevent Caster's summoning, and take the man's place as a Master. But with Kirei already prowling the streets, that plan suddenly seemed far more dangerous. The priest was the Overseer's son - if he caught Souta interfering with potential Masters, there would be questions he couldn't answer.
The coffee burned his tongue as he took a sip, the pain helping to ground his racing thoughts. He needed a new approach. Maybe instead of hunting Ryuunosuke directly, he could look for signs of the murders. The police would be investigating, even if the Mage's Association was covering things up. A pattern of missing children, strange symbols at crime scenes - those would lead him to Caster's would-be Master.
Souta pulled a small notebook from his pocket and began sketching the magic circle he'd seen in the grimoire, the one used for Servant summoning. If he could find Ryuunosuke's hideout after the man had prepared the ritual space but before he completed the summoning...
The bell above the door jingled, snapping Souta from his thoughts. He looked up just in time to see a familiar shock of black hair pass by outside - Emiya Kiritsugu, his face grim and focused as he strode down the street.
Souta's hand tightened around his coffee cup. The pieces were moving faster than he'd anticipated. The War had truly begun, and he was running out of time to secure his place in it.
He left a few coins on the table and stepped back out into the cold. The industrial district would be his next stop - if Ryuunosuke was anywhere, it would be in one of those abandoned warehouses. And if he could find him today, before nightfall...
Souta's circuits tingled in anticipation as he turned his steps toward the river. The game was afoot, and for better or worse, he was now a player in the Fourth Holy Grail War.