Fate Grand Order: Broadcasting Master Love — Chapter 113

Chapter 113: Nero: Justice Cut

Fou stiffened at the sudden, guttural roar. The little creature scrambled off Ritsuka’s shoulder, shrinking warily into the furthest corner of the corridor. Its tiny claws scraped frantically against the floorboards as it let out a string of uncertain, trembling cries. “Fou, fouu.”

Fujimaru Ritsuka released a helpless breath. Stepping forward into the shadow of the towering Berserker, he extended a small, exquisitely wrapped box of chocolates toward Caligula.

“I’m sorry, it’s not chocolate from Nero,” Ritsuka said, keeping his voice deliberately soft and steady. “But sweets can calm the mind. Please, eat it.”

Caligula’s bloodshot gaze locked onto the small package. A low, beastly growl rumbled deep within his massive chest, vibrating through the air before erupting into an ear-splitting bellow. “SCORCHING CHOCOLATEEEE!!”

Fou pressed itself flat against the wall, crying out in alarm. “Fou, fouu? Fou!”

“——Roar!”

“Oh, OOOOOOH——!” Caligula snatched the delicate box from Ritsuka’s hands. His thick fingers completely obliterated the elegant packaging, tearing foil and ribbon to shreds as he shoved the entire block of chocolate into his mouth. His jaw snapped shut. His teeth ground down with terrifying force, the loud crunch echoing as if he were pulverizing bone rather than candy.

Then, the hulking Berserker froze.

The corded, tense muscles along his arms and neck slowly began to slacken. The crazed, crimson glint that permanently stained his eyes dimmed, replaced by a fleeting clarity. He closed his eyes, his heavy breathing evening out as he murmured in a low, gravelly voice. “…Ahh, sweet. Yet bitter… truly delicious.”

Across the dimensional boundaries, watching the light screen, Nero’s emerald-green eyes widened in absolute shock. She leaned forward, a gasp escaping her lips. “Ah! My maternal uncle has actually calmed down!?”

On the screen, Fou seemed equally stunned. The creature poked its fluffy head out from behind Ritsuka’s legs, staring at the unusually docile giant and letting out a short, bewildered squeak. “Fou!?”

But the peace was a fragile illusion. Barely three seconds later, Caligula’s eyes snapped open. The madness surged back into his pupils like a tidal wave of blood. He clenched his massive fists, throwing his head back to unleash another fanatical, desperate scream into the void.

“NEROOOOOOOH!”

He had completely reverted to the mindless Berserker, violently venting his eternal madness against the world.

Fujimaru Ritsuka watched the tragic figure descend into frenzy once more, shaking his head with a sad smile. Yet, a glimmer of realization sparked in his eyes. “Still not enough… but I think I’ve found a breakthrough.”

In the world of the Fourth Holy Grail War, Waver Velvet sat with his arms tightly crossed, glaring at the determined Master on the broadcast screen. He rolled his eyes toward the ceiling, his voice dripping with pure exasperation. “Why are you so obsessively dedicated to winning over a Berserker? Just use Command Spells like a normal Magus!”

Sometime later, the scene shifted to Fujimaru Ritsuka’s personal quarters in Chaldea.

The metal door slid open with a soft hiss. Nightingale strode into the room, her posture perfectly straight despite the massive, heavy wooden crate she carried in her arms. Spotting Ritsuka sitting on the edge of his bed, she spoke in her usual clinical, unhurried tone. “Ah, you are here, as expected. I have something for you. Please wait a moment.”

She stepped further inside. “It is somewhat heavy, so I brought it directly to your room. May I place it by the bed?”

Without waiting for an answer, she set the crate down on the floor. A dull, heavy thud echoed through the room, vibrating up through the soles of Ritsuka’s boots.

Curiosity piqued, Ritsuka stood up and approached as the Head Nurse unlatched the crate. She pulled away the packing material to reveal an exquisitely carved marble bust.

It was the likeness of Caligula’s beloved niece, Nero. The arrogant arch of the eyebrows, the delicate curve of the chin, the obvious spirit captured in the cold stone—it was a flawless, identical replica of the Roman Emperor.

Ritsuka’s eyes widened. He pointed a trembling finger at the heavy sculpture. “Could this be… from Caligula?”

“Mhm.” Nightingale gave a single, curt nod. “After attempting to communicate with him using multiple therapeutic methods, I learned he wished to give this sculpture to you.”

She looked down at the marble face. “It seems that, in order to carve this sculpture, he had to maintain an unusually long period of calm.” A barely perceptible sigh slipped through Nightingale’s usually flat cadence.

The implication hung heavy in the air. To carve something so delicate, so precise, the Mad Enhancement A+ class Berserker must have exerted an agonizing, unimaginable amount of willpower to suppress the raging madness tearing at his mind.

A deep warmth swelled in Ritsuka’s chest. Staring at the lifelike statue, he immediately turned toward the door, his expression hardening with resolve. “I’m going to visit him.”

Nightingale raised a hand, physically blocking his path. She gestured back to the marble bust by the bed. “Before that, please accept this sculpture.”

Ritsuka stopped. He looked back at the statue, reaching out to gently brush his fingertips against the cold, polished stone surface. A soft light reflected in his eyes as he looked back at the nurse. “…Thank you.”

Nightingale merely waved a dismissive hand, turning her back to him and walking briskly toward the corridor. “Say that to him personally. I will take my leave now.”

The light screen then shifted, displaying the official introduction text for Caligula’s Valentine’s Day return gift.

If you are well, it is a sunny day.

Caligula’s Valentine’s Day return gift.

“Your happiness is my happiness.”

A portrait sculpture modeled after Nero’s form. Caligula likely completed this carving while desperately struggling to maintain his calm. Each stroke of the chisel is imbued with his deeply hidden obsession and tenderness, making it a pure expression of his feelings. In other words, this is a gift of affection—a clumsy yet incredibly sincere sentiment from a Berserker.

The introduction faded from the screen.

In the Einzbern Castle of Fuyuki City, Emiya Kiritsugu slouched deep into his chair.

He stared at the fading text on the light screen. His eyes were entirely hollow, completely devoid of light or emotion. A broken, numb smile twitched at the corners of his mouth, twisting his usually stoic face into something deeply unsettling.

“I understand,” Kiritsugu muttered, his voice flat and dead. “It’s just a Master forcing a Berserker to completely override their Madness Enhancement through sheer willpower and affection. It’s nothing major. Heh… hehehehehe…”

That dry, raspy laughter echoed through the cold stone hall. It was the sound of a pragmatic Magus Killer whose entire understanding of magecraft, logic, and the Holy Grail War had been shattered into a million irreparable pieces by the sheer absurdity of Chaldea.

Beside him, Irisviel looked at her beloved husband. Watching the formerly cold, detached assassin reduced to this hollow, giggling shell of a man, she couldn’t help but shake her head in resignation. Yet, her crimson eyes crinkled with tender amusement.

Meanwhile, back in her own luxurious throne room, Nero leaned back against the plush velvet of her chair. Her fingers tapped a slow, rhythmic beat against the golden armrest.

“Fujimaru Ritsuka…” she murmured, a soft, intrigued smile playing on her lips. “One whom my maternal uncle holds so dear. If I were in that world, I would likely grow quite fond of you as well. But now…”

“Umu!”

She abruptly vaulted to her feet, throwing her arms wide and striking a dramatic, flawless pose. Her emerald-green eyes sparkled with absolute, unshakeable pride as her voice boomed across the empty throne room.

“This emperor already has a Master!”

She placed a hand on her hip, lifting her chin haughtily. “Let that world’s version of me do as she pleases! Umu!”