Of the 23 worlds connected to Tokyo, one is the world of El Dorado. It is a world where wanting to be a sacrifice for the sun is considered commendable, a world that has the belief that self-sacrifice is held up in high regard. Itzamna has sadly come to terms with this world and its faith. Due to that, he gave the world wisdom and writing and explained to everyone the greatness of art. He wanted everyone to forget about conflict and treasure their lives. He wanted everyone to live in peace, tranquility, and abundance. That was what Itzamna wished for, even if he had to sacrifice himself for it. But maybe even that was a part of the world's System. The old lizard's wish was in vain, and the world continued on unchanging. Still, Itzamna kept wishing for it over and over. Maybe this time it would come true.
Itzamna kept looking at the shining sun(s?) and eventually something happened some time later in his art class in Tokyo. Narration fast forwards to this day where school is over and and students and teachers are absorbed in drawing their pictures in the self-study room. In the center of the room is a wooden easel and a single canvas, and Itzamna stands in front of it. He says nothing as he slowly mixes some colors in the pallet in his hand, then brings the brush to the canvas. He sighs shortly after that, pulling the paintbrush away as he slumps his shoulders crestfallen and leaves the room. Some people in the hallway watch him go in concern before turning to each other.
That turns out to be Licht, Benten, and Kuniyoshi. Benten comments on Itzamna walking off and notes that he seems sad. Kuniyoshi notes that Itzamna is focused on the same painting he's been spending all his time on lately. Licht says Itzamna keeps putting his brush up to the canvas before putting it down, then wonders what could be on his mind since he can't think of anything. Since Itzamna seems to starting on the thing, it probably isn't an issue of him having no idea what to paint.
Benten looks over quietly for a moment before she decides to walk into the classroom. Kuniyoshi attempts to talk her out of it, except he ends up following her in as he notes. Benten wonders what it is Itzamna is drawing since the colors are mixed so much that the colors are all pitch black. Kuniyoshi wasn't planning on agreeing with Benten, but he does. It's weird since Itzamna normally draws using brighter colors. Benten picks up a solemn mood from the painting's colors and figures it was something else earlier.
Kuniyoshi asks Licht what he thinks and feels about the painting since he mainly does oil paintings like Itzamna does. Licht is shocked at being asked, but he steps up to answer all the same. After a moment to look at it, Licht says he thinks it's a painting of 'understanding or resignation towards creation.' He speaks as if he was the only one of the group to sense those feelings. Benten thinks to herself in surprise about how Licht is phrasing his thoughts, then wonders what Itzamna could be worrying about.
Title card pops up, and this chapter is called Grab It with the Rosca de Reyes.
Ziz says she's going to go back to the station to continue doing the pastorela, then asks if the Evils and Christmas Evils will help her again. They respond excitedly. Shirou thinks for a moment, then asks if he can come along too. If Ziz is going to redo the play again, he'd like to make a recording of the Evils acting along with her. It's their big debut, and he's going to do his best to film it even if his camera work sucks! Ziz laughs at how much of a parent Shirou is being, then says everyone is working hard and understands how he feels.
Kyuuma excuses the jocks and says they'll go check around the mall. Durga asks about there being a lot of events going on, then says they should look around and enjoy it all. Kyuuma then asks Ashigara to stop pouting. Since they're here and all they may as well have fun while looking for Yasuyori. Durga makes an attempt at being a cool big sis type like Ziz and musters the kindest voice she can manage as she tries to get Ashigara to cheer up, or else she'll make him run 100 laps. Ashigara laughs at Durga for sounding weird and asks if crap got in her eyes to make her blink so much. She is unamused by this and expresses as much by literally kicking his ass, leading to Ashigara to plead for her to stop. You decide to leave them be and head off to your next task.
The story decides to jump back a few days ago as it tunes in at a kitchen in Andvari's resort. There, you guys are getting stalls ready for Christmas and all the other events going on. Everyone here (Chouji, Ded White, Itzamna, Ryouta, and you) is part of the cooking team with Chouji at its center. Andvari turns up and suggests starting the discussion so that you guys can get a handle on things. He'll be focused on his business stuff while you guys are working on getting Christmas back, and since you're working together he suggests putting everything forward. You get enthused about the goal and say Christmas looks like it'll be really heated.
Itzamna comments on Andvari being the consummate businessman and approves since he thinks everything that lives ought to be that passionate. White laughs and says business is important too, and that Christmas is all about prosperity for the people. Ryouta is surprised Ded is here since he figured he'd be at the Santa School. White explains all the students and teachers there are doing their best to get things ready for Christmas. He figures it'd be best for him to concentrate his efforts here so theirs won't go to waste, so he asks for you all to help him for the sake of his students and for everyone waiting for Santa. White bows deeply and smiles, though he seems more tired than usual, probably because of the current incident. You ask Ded to not look so sad and/or say you'll bring Christmas back.
Itzamna prompts Ded to raise his head too and says they all agree on wanting to get Christmas back. Ryouta assures him it'll be okay because they have a cooking master here. Ded is intrigued by this and says that's comforting to hear. Andvari says they did get someone suited for the cooking side of things, then turns to Chouji saying he'll be counting on him as he calls him the Christmas specialist exclusive chef. Ryouta prompts everyone to clap for him, describing Chouji as both a cook and the pastry baker for the Tokyo famous cake shop Patisserie Iimori.
Chouji is taken aback at the pressure being put on him, but he gets on with formally introducing himself and says he'll be working harder than usual to get Christmas back. This is important for his store too after all. Andvari says Chouji's job is very simple as it's the development and supervision of food they can sell for Christmas. It's going to be sold here in the food court of the shopping mall here in the resort, and Andvari tells Chouji to pay special attention to the Christmas cake since it's the biggest selling item of the season. Chouji answers affirmatively, though still taken aback a little.
Andvari then says he has to go now since he's got a ton of work as the organizer. You wave him goodbye and comment that it must be rough, though Andvari looks to be holding up well. Andvari stops before heading out as he remembers he needs to tell you something: you're going to be involved with all the planning for everything. You are nonplussed at this, so Andvari repeats that yes you are going to be involved with every part of the event since everyone has been asking for you. Look at you, you famous star you. It's gonna busy Christmas day, so you better be ready for that. And then he flounces out for real, laughing and saying he'll be counting on you.
After Andvari leaves, Ryouta is surprised at how he didn't leave any time for you to get a word in edgewise and amazed at how quick he moves when it comes to business. White suggests that means Andvari has that much faith in you guys, so you should probably try to meet his expectations. Chouji says that's something to be thankful for and suggests getting on with the meeting then.
Itzamna starts the meeting by asking if he can ask Chouji about something. Chouji agrees to hear him out, so Itzamna asks him what Christmas staple foods are since he's usually asleep in the winter. Ryouta pops himself in between them as he starts answering by rattling off a list of foods, which includes cake, turkey, salad, roast beef, terrines, and soups. Tanngrisnir barges in to add stew to the list, followed by Tomte insisting that you not forget about saunas. Ryouta, Choiji, and Itzamna are baffled by their sudden appearance, and you either exclaim about how surprised you are and how forcefully they're coming on, or you point out that saunas don't count as food.
White doesn't bat an eye as he comments on the two of them showing up and asking how the Santa School is doing. Tanngrisnir steps back a bit to introduce himself as a Reindeer Department teacher and Tomte as a second year student, then says they came to help with the emergency situation before offering people his stew. Tomte says that the school is doing fine, and that Yule, Krampus, and all the other no namers are doing their best. They're also worrying over Ded, so Tomte came as their representative to help take care of Ded. White laughs about how nice everyone is and says Black would cry of joy if he were awake.
You either take note that the two of them hurried over to help or ask Tanngrisnir if he really carried a pot of stew all this way. (Shinjuku to Kasai is ~37 minutes by train according to Google.) Tanngrisnir confirms as such since it's an emergency and also because he overheard you guys talking about standard Christmas dishes. Tanngrisnir then asks Tomte to pass the stew out to everyone, so Tomte moves to do so, setting up a table cloth and some bowls and spoons while he's at it.
Some time later, Itzamna comments on how nice the stew is. Chouji comments on the rich fragrance and superb stewing. Ryouta talks about the potatoes being soft and crumbly and the meat being tender, then declares the stew to be perfect. Tanngrisnir agrees and says there's more for seconds if anyone wants any. White looks quietly sad, which Tanngrisnir notices and asks if something is wrong.
White snaps out of his thoughts and apologizes, saying the heat is killing his appetite. Tomte asks if he needs anything and suggests he lie down for a bit. White thanks Tomte and says he's otherwise fine, so he'd like to stay with everyone for the meeting. You agree that it has been hot lately and say you get not feeling hungry. Chouji thinks on the heat being heavy this Christmas as he gives White a glass of cold water.
Chouji says he won't be straying away from the standard Christmas menu since it's still linked to the holiday despite the heat. Still, he has to consider that the summer heat tends to cause a loss of appetite and that the temp differences outside and inside can be shocking to people. Itzamna starts getting what he's getting at and asks if he's saying someone who's walking out in the heat isn't likely to get some stew. Chouji feels there will be demand for the stew since it's so nice, but it not feeling like winter outside will be a problem. Ryouta agrees with the point, though he says he'd still go for it.
You talk about how cake is heavily associated with Christmas, but people aren't going to want it in this weather. Chouji talks about how the summer sun is an issue, though if it were still the same winter cold it wouldn't be. It's going to degrade the freshness of fruits and the fresh cream won't hold up, so cakes that need to be refrigerated are a no go. Short cakes, chocolate cakes, and the seasonal Yule logs are going to be hard to have too.
Ryouta immediately protests against not having cakes for Christmas since they're still good in the summer. Chouji says he knows and says that his store is still selling them well enough for take out. There's far less people eating in though. He then asks Ryouta if he'd go to a beach house in the summer and order a shortcake. Ryouta admits he wouldn't, and Tanngrisnir comments that the mind and body want different things. People might want Christmas stuff, but the heat would be an issue. Tomte asks if he means that Christmas stuff won't suit what people want in those conditions, and you think on Christmas being a winter thing which has things that don't suit summer weather, so you'd have to think of things besides that.
Chouji nods and says the standard cakes won't be enough, so he'll also have to put its opposite out to appeal to people. White says you guys will have to think of a summer Christmas dish then. Tanngrisnir sadly notes his stew might not fit, then mentions his old master would have eaten it regardless of the weather. Tomte still wants to suggest saunas during hot weathers despite the topic being food, but the issue he sees is that there isn't enough time to build one even if they started now.
Itzamna says nothing as he thinks to himself, which Chouji notices and asks why he's making a face. Itzamna apologizes and says he was thinking, then floats the idea of making a cake that is not a cake to Chouji, though he mentions it's not a dish from a hot world. You ask if this is some sort of Zen riddle, but Itzamna laughs and says it's not some trick question and says it still uses fresh cream for decoration. He talks about how Tokyo is connected to many worlds, so there are also many ways to celebrate something. In other words, Tokyo is a fusion of cultures with a countless number of arts and cuisines. Maybe that could lead to a hint for a summer Christmas dish.
Chouji gets excited by the idea as he gets up in Itzamna's face and asks him to teach him about that. Ryouta quickly pulls him back, telling him to calm down and say he's freaking the old man out. Itzamna takes a moment to think before asking if he's heard of a rosca de reyes. Chouji says he hasn't, so Itzamna politely offers to explain. You either comment on how much fun Itzamna seems to be having or call him grampa and tell him you want to know too. B gets an extra line where he laughs and finds the title embarrassing.
Itzamna starts explaining that rosca de reyes is a dish that is eaten in this time period in a certain culture. Bread dough is formed into a ring shape with a hole in the center, then decorated with toppings to make it a dessert. The appearance is meant to imitate a crown, and a feature of this thing is that there's a doll put into the dough. Chouji asks about this, and you wonder if it's like a winning ticket where you get something nice for it.
Itzamna confirms as such and says that the doll put into the dough is the king. Whoever gets the king will be visited by good luck, together with the blessings of their friends and family if they eat it with a lot of other people. Chouji interrupts for a moment to say he's heard of something similar. White knows what he's thinking and asks if he means a gallete de rois, a traditional sweet formed like a crown from some other culture. A coin or a button is slipped into that instead of a doll, but the rest is the same. Itzamna is surprised to hear that two different cultures came up with something so similar, and Chouji thinks about the two kinds of desserts. You think aloud about how both are things made with a wish to bless someone else.
Tomte joins in to mention that he knows of another thing that's similar to those things, a julgrot, which is his next favorite thing after saunas. He explains that an almond gets put into some milk porridge, and if you happen to get that almond your love will be realized next year. It's not actually a sweet as he admits, but it's also something made to bless someone else. Chouji thinks about how Tokyo has something similar, with one of the bones in a sea bream supposedly bringing happiness. Ryouta adds that something similar happens with ice cream. If you find a heart or a star in yours, it's supposed to make you happy.
Ded suggests that all of those things started from the same beginning, a casual word of well-wishing. Everyone wishes for happiness, and as ideas spread, they get taken to different cultures and changed for their customs. The origins remain the same though, and Santa Clauses come from the same place. Chouji thinks about the idea of wishing for someone's happiness and says it's the same for cooking. You either say that's Chouji's specialty and believe that he can do it, or you just silently raise your fist in a show of confidence. Chouji nods back in response.
Itzamna realizes the topic has drifted a bit and gets back to his original point, which is that thinking outside the box may be a good idea if you're stuck while doing something creative. You should recognize that your point of view may be narrowed, then work up the courage to get outside your comfort zone. Your current self may not be able to express something, but sometimes that in itself is where the answer is.
Chouji is intrigued, then notes that that's a hard thing to do. Itzamna agrees with that, so his students have come up with the suggestion of thinking of someone who is outside your box and think about what would make them happy. If you do that, then you can see outside of your box, see yourself, and spread your worldview. Itzanma suggests that if there really are wise men in the world, they would have the most knowledge in the world. His view of a wise man is someone who knows the box they're in and many of the people outside of it. So has the old man rambling been any help? Chouji says it has given him something to think about, so Itzamna approves saying worrying when you're young is a brilliant thing to behold and that he should concentrate on that.
Some time later, Chouji runs into you elsewhere at the resort and is surprised since he figured you left with everyone else. You say you just hung around for reasons you don't get, say you were worried about him, or say you thought he'd be lonely by himself. Chouji laughs and thanks you as he says he did want someone to talk to. Since you're here and all, he invites you to come taste test with him since he's going to make some trial dishes.
Chouji leads you to a restaurant Andvari said that he could use. Since he's the only other person in the building he says you don't need to worry about your table manners as you eat. There's already a table of dishes already made, and Chouji says to start with the basics since Christmas only comes once a year. He invites you to have a bite as he calls you a dear customer, so you gulp and say you'll do so.
Chouji prompts you to do so and hopes you like it. The table is described as crowded with chicken, salad, and soups for the standard Christmas menu. The soup is rich and mellow, the salad is bright and colorful. The chicken is bright and shiny, tender and juicy, and the skin is flavorful too. Everything is first rate and delicate, and you can feel the effort Chouji put into them. You comment on how delicious it all is and how skillful Chouji is at cooking, so much so that your tongue feels like it could melt.
Chouji looks surprised as he says nothing, which worries you as you ask if you said something weird. Chouji denies that as he finds his voice again, then says he felt really happy when you said his food was good. He thinks to himself it feels different than usual, and he wonders if it's because of what Itzanma said or something else. He starts stammering as he pushes the thought aside and says there's a lot of cakes too and hopes you'll taste those too.
Choujin brings out the cakes after a moment, then starts describing one as a standard strawberry with fresh cream. There's also one with chocolate cream too. There's a Yule log as Kengo asked for, and a roll cake that's nice and thick. And there's also a gallete de rois that came up during the conversation earlier. You either comment that it seems to be missing something or make an interested if neutral comment on the cake.
Chouji says he couldn't find a recipe for the cake when he made that one. He heard the idea from Itzamna, but it's hard to do just from listening, so he made a go of it. He wanted to get the basics down, but maybe he'll have to give up on it. You either comment on Chouji having dishes he doesn't know about or say that's a shame. Chouji is surprised to say of course there is, since he can't say that there's nothing he doesn't know about. Even in a single world there are as many recipes as there are stars in the sky, and who knows how many there are now with the worlds connected. Still, he wants to know those recipes and conquer them. But never mind that, keep tasting those cakes since they have his store guarantee of quality!
Time passes by until Chouji notices how late it is despite the sun outside. He then starts talking about how he remembered how fun it was to cook while he was worrying. That happened while you were enjoying his food, so he thanks you for that. Still, he wonders if there's a way he can find an actual recipe for the rosca de reyes. It seems tasty from the sound of it, and he asks if you think so too. You however decide to ask why Chouji is so focused on cooking since you'd like to know more about him.
Chouji is surprised by the question and says it's not that interesting. He doesn't really remember anymore, and one day while he was little he was like that somehow. He's not sure if he can word it well, but he'll tell you if you want to know. You ask him to go on, and Itzanma walks by outside and notices.
Chouji starts talking about how he loves cooking, but he also loves eating as well. Since he loves that, he started thinking about how he wanted to show someone else how great it was to eat too. That was what spurred him to learn to cook, and he recounts he did horribly enough in the beginning that he burned a fried egg. He spent a lot of time deep in thought about whether someone would be happy if he made something for them. It was fun having someone to eat what he made.
It made him happy to have someone enjoy his food, and being able to share that with someone satisfied him. He felt that getting someone to smile truly made him happy. Still, he felt that he was making food for his own sake since it was something he could do and be proud of since he thought he was otherwise worthless. Everyone at school, the Missionaries, and you all enjoyed his food. He's surprised to find this out about himself, and he keeps on talking.
Chouji talks about wanting to make people smile and be happy, not for their sake but for his. He asks if you understand, and you say that's good, say he's a great cook, or say he sounded like Ryouta in the end. Chouji admits he's never told this to Ryouta and laughs at himself for wanting to be in the limelight. Itzamna watches silently from wherever he is, and you are surprised when you realize an artifact is activating, which turns out to be Chouji's as it starts glowing.
Chouji is also surprised at his artifact going off on its own, and narration starts describing how his artifact is in charge of sharing beliefs that relate to cooking. This can be for warming people up, cooling them down, supplementing lost flesh and blood, or making whoever eats it happy. It is something that can make the fantasy that cooking can do a certain thing into reality. That said, it's never glowed like this before as Chouji notes aloud. The pages flip by themselves, and the light glows stronger. Eventually the book flips to an empty page, where the light converges to form words and pictures.
Chouji notes that it's a recipe he doesn't know about and starts reading the name, and you realize it says rosca de reyes. Another flash comes from the book, and narration says that memories about the taste and visuals for the dish also flow into Chouji along with information about it. Chouji says he can make it now, and although he doesn't know what just happened, he thanks his artifact. He asks for all the memories of cooking from beyond the walls to help him, casting his NP as the episode ends.
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