Written by Kinoko Nasu.
The title of Santa once again must be passed to someone else at Chaldea. As 80% of their Servants have already left the Storm Border to commiserate at their homelands, Santa Martha struggles to find someone to pass the title on to. But, luckily, out of the 20% left at Chaldea's base, Nemo seems to be the perfect candidate for the new Santa. Having consented to his new role, a newly christened Nemo Santa determines he will have one week to fulfill the most optimal route for delivering presents and a Merry Christmas to everyone. Let Operation: 8 Years Snow Carol commence!
Tropes featured in this story:
- Call-Back: It turns out Nemo was inspired by his knowledge of the protagonist's torment in the Garden of Lost Will and desired to give them a means of further comfort after that experience, working primarily towards that one goal as Santa.
- Continuity Cavalcade: Each day commemorates a year of the game's runtime as Nemo works backwards through time to get to 2015. Mary Anning represents 2022 (she debuted that year in the yearly crossover), Britomart, Oberon, and Habetrot represent 2021 (as they are all linked as faeries and their association with Lostbelt Morgan), Nikola Tesla represents 2020 (as someone who prominently featured as a helper in Olympus released that year), Aśvatthāman represents 2019 (as Yuga Kshetra released that year), BB's summer self represents 2018 (as she debuted that year), First Hassan represents 2017 (the year he was actually released in the gacha), and finally Merlin represents 2016/15 (as he's someone whose design actually debuted before Grand Order).
- Delaying Action: On Day 5, when BB realizes that Nemo would return to Storm Border before the protagonist, she delves into Imaginary Numbers Space to fight him and buy them enough time to arrive.
- Demoted to Extra: Lampshaded by BB. She complains her Grail Front event was a bust, her attempt to run Servafes again then got hijacked by other characters, and she hasn't gotten any alternate versions like the Santa role in ages. She ends up contenting herself despite the diminished importance via helping out the protagonist behind Nemo's back and messing with Nemo.
- Mysterious Protector: Two parties helped Nemo Santa to complete his Christmas operation without him knowing.
- On the first four days, the protagonist and BB make sure that Nemo Santa’s voyage towards his destinations would go smoothly.
- On Day 6, at the start of the fight against First Hassan, Nemo Santa receives a buff named “Protection of Salvation” which gives him one-time stackable Guts and Attack boost for three turns. The buff’s name and the conversation afterwards suggest that it was bestowed by Noah from somewhere off-screen.
- Only the Worthy May Pass: Nemo Professor explains at the end of Day 5 that in order to dive deeper than Depth 5, one needs to have a Grand Saint Graph.
- Title Drop: Nemo refers to his operation to give the protagonist a gift as the "8 Years Snow Carol".
- Wham Line: Nemo and BB furtively hint the former took on the job specifically so he could do something special with his role as Santa that could only be performed in that capacity. It's only revealed at the end of Day 6 just what he's been doing, preparing to time travel back to a time before anything happened to Chaldea.Nemo Santa: All hands to general quarters! Prepare for Imaginary Numbers dive, Depth 7! Our target is the year 2015 AD! The ship will now travel back to the appointed date!
