So! Old Ones! There's a snake that lives underground there that functions as a substitute sun and marks the yearly cycle. Someone somewhere called them Father for some reason, so then the snake decided "this is my life now, children." He gave them a part of his power to them as protection since that's what he considered love and light. More children came as time went on, and the snake said life was good.
Present
Yig gets summoned to Tokyo!
Yig: I heard people looking for snakes like me and now I am here. Nice place!
Later
???: Okay. So.
Gang: Happy new year!
Takeminakata: Happy new year you guys!
MC: Happy new year, guys! Hope this one's a good one too. / FOOD!
---
(C) Kengo: Oh shit calm down, geez. Save some for me!
Ryouta: We still got plenty more besides this!
---
So the Summoners are at some shrine's office having a party. Hougen asked the gang via Touji to help fix the place up and got food for everyone after some early morning work.
Shirou: Okay wow this is a lot, thank you Sir.
Hougen: It's cool, it's thanks for all your work. Don't tell Touji, I'll get him some tomorrow.
Takeminakata: O-oh, sorry. I'm here for sumo stuff...
Moritaka: No matter, you helped as well!
Hougen: Indeed!
Kengo: Yeah I thought you were here to help too. How come you're here to sumo wrestle alone?
Hougen: Prayer blessing things! Just traditional Japanese customs.
MC: Huh. Nice. / I'll wrestle you, Takeminakata
(C) Takeminakata: Okay!
Takeminakata: I'm glad I can start off the snake year with sumo wrestling.
Hougen: Daikoku hooked me up with you after Tajikarao had other work to do. It's good the shrine I regularly go to has a big shindig to start things off with.
Moritaka: Touji said he used to train swords here?
Shirou: Shuuichi said he came here too. Does that mean you've known him long, Moritaka?
Moritaka: I do remember seeing him a lot. Ahh, the nostalgia. I shall continue training to be a true warrior!
Takeminakata: Ack! Please keep that ice sword away from me!
Moritaka: Oh, too cold?
Takeminakata: Ice sword PTSD...
Hougen: Leave him be. Go ahead and enjoy the celebrations, casual or hardcore.
Kengo: Oh okay. Somebody fight me!
Ryouta: Rice cake participation prizes!
Shirou: You'd wrestle for rice cakes!?
Hougen: Why not? Stretch them legs out for daddy...
Takeminakata: UM??? MC it seems cold today, stay safe okay?
Shirou: I have warmers if you need one!
Ryouta: Where'd the Evils go?
Shirou: Naptime. I should bring them some food too, thank you.
Takeminakata: D'aww they made such cute snake decorations. Brings back memories...
MC: You like snakes?
Takeminakata: I got my ass kicked in a war, ran to some lake, and the people started worshipping me as Mishaguji-sama the red snake when they saw my arm that got cut off by an ice sword.
MC: what / So this is your year! / praise be...
(BC) Takeminakata: O-oh. Hehe, please stop MC.
Takeminakata: But yeah that's how I became a(nother) god. They always put up a lot of snake decor. I kinda miss it...
Shirou: Interesting. Could you tell me more about that?
Good times. So time for a plot twist when everyone gets back up to go back to work!
Hougen: Hi. Missing child alert.
Moritaka: Oh! I'll sniff them out!
MC: Go get 'em, boy! / Business as usual now. / Something different about this alert?
---
(A) Moritaka: WOOF! Wait, MC I am not a--oh right, missing child.
---
Hougen: Yeah, multiple children went missing at once. Shouldn't be too bad with everyone, but still be careful.
And that's how the party split up to go looking for these kids.
Later
Lots of people visiting the shrine. Really hard to find anyone specific.
MC: (look around)
???: Are you lost, Asura?
Flash! A wild Jizo appears!
MC: MY EEEEEYYYYES / ROCK HARD BEEF
Jizo: Yes, I save those who have yet to find God or Buddha with my muscles!
He's shiny.
Jizo: Buddhist vow: save all living things. It must be fate that we met. I'm Jizo. Or Ksitigarbha if you want to go all Sanskrit on people. But anyways, are you lost? YOU HAVE PROBLEMS, RIGHT!?
MC: HELP??? / Problems, yes! / (explain)
(A) Jizo: Pffft, what kind of Asura has no problems? Now, let me help. I will assist until the end, whatever it is...
(B) Jizo: Ooh, ooh! Tell me, tell me! I'll help until SOMETHING comes to an end!
One explanation later
Jizo: Lost children? Concerning, but also not the severity that pings my sensors... oh maybe they're just sidetracked. Boddhisatva Vision! ...go check the gates, you'll find something or whatever there. See you later, Asura!
poof
MC: Welp! Time to check the gates then.
Gates
Solomon: Oh my god you actually listened to him??? I mean he seems okay but still.
MC: He seemed alright and I have no better ideas / (pet)
(C) Solomon: Ohh, we're doing this early? ...no wait, the children first!
Solomon: Well anyways my Running Gag Rank 3 Cert in Extremely Specific Tasks thinks that Jizo guy had a point. We should be able to spot stuff happening, but if there's an event then--!?
There's Yig surrounded by a bunch of kids!
MC: OH MY GOD / did he mean this? / Hey, can we talk?
Yig: Hello little child. Ah, having a snake year is good civilization. Would you like to be MY child? I am Yig, and I shall bless you.
MC: Hello, police? / Can you come with us to the shrine office? / (join the kids)
(AB) Yig: Why do you sideeye me so? Age is but a number to a Foreigner like me! But if you will not be my child, please leave.
(C) Yig: Yes, age means little to me!
Girl A: Uncle Yig, money please!
Bear B: Uncle Yig, what is this fun place you talked about?
Yig: Please, call me Daddy. Or Father. Or Papa. THEN you shall find paradise in my coils and--
Hougen: (swoops in) Hiiii, those kids already have parents.
MC: Police! You made it! / Boo!
---
(AB) Hougen: I was the closest here. Now let's go discuss all this and figure things out.
(C) Hougen: Oh you. Impressive acting like you fell for it when you texted me.
---
Hougen: What, you forgot? Oh. Well, let's take the children back for now.
Solomon: Tee hee, it was me who texted him. Okay, I'm gonna hang with Ded and Cait Sith, bye!
Later
Yig: What do you mean, I can't just take in children in this world as my own!? The paradise in my coils...
Hougen: ...you're using your coils as an Enclosed Space?
Yig: Oh right, the App was going on about that. What is that? I couldn't actually take the children in.
MC: ...well that's good / when'd you come in? / You ever heard of kidnapping?
---
(C) Yig: What!? It can't be kidnapping if they're having fun!
---
Takeminakata: I think there's a misunderstanding here...
Moritaka: How long have you been in Tokyo, Yig?
Yig: I've seen the sun rise three times so far.
Ryouta: Oh. So, three days then?
Kengo: Guess that explains things.
Shirou: Hmm. Are you the Snake Ancestor from Old Ones?
Yig: Oh, you know of me!?
Shirou: The Necronomicon told me so.
Yig: I see! Then explain I only wish to bless my children!
MC: So he's actually a good guy? Well okay then.
Modern Japanese culture crash course time!
Later
Yig: Ooh, so families work differently here.
Hougen: Yes. It's not what you're used to, but it's nice you're going with it.
Yig: So I might actually upset those children if I kept going...
Hougen: Probably. Their parents were worried.
Yig: I see...and children were likely only approaching me because I happen to be lucky this year.
Ryouta: Just get used to it! You're good at taking care of kids since they all looked so happy.
MC: You really are a daddy / Ah, potential / nice save, Ryouta
Yig: Such kindness! Would you be my child?
Takeminakata: He's totally going to do it all over again!
Yig: I'll make sure you're safe and never hungry!
Ryouta: Lots of naps and meals?
Yig: Yes!
Rest of Gang: !?
Ryouta: I'M IN!
Rest of Gang: NO WAIT STOP
Takeminakata: ...maybe we need someone to babysit him.
Hougen: Well I've done that plenty of times before, so I can--
Ryouta: Hey what if we did it? Yig, we need help anyways. Wanna try out some volunteering?
Hougen: It's a good a familiarization process as any.
Moritaka: I support this idea!
Kengo: Whaddya think, Guildmaster?
MC: Fiiiine / Okay / Sure, I'll show him around
Shirou: Well we've done this before. I don't think any of us object.
Takeminakata: S-so this is what people mean by how disunited the Summoners seem? Well, fate works in mysterious ways!
Hougen: ...Qinglong said okay and I'm fine with it. What about him?
Yig: You would make me work and neither worship me nor be my children? You seem experienced with this strangeness...but I suppose I should learn what's new with the kids!
Welp! How's New Years gonna turn out?
End of Episode