After that whole debacle, the dining hall doors flew open, and one of the late arrivals came storming in. But…

"Bad news, everyone!" Exclaimed Ishimaru. "There is a mystery afoot!"

"Huh?" Gasped Hagakure. "What happened?"

"It would seem Togami refuses to leave his room!" He explained. "I stood there pressing his doorbell over and over, but he never showed himself."

"Maybe he just… Wasn't there." I assumed.

"I'd like to think so. But I'm worried something might've happened to him."

He trailed off and went silent, but I'm pretty sure everyone understood what that might mean…

"I-It might be a good idea if we all split up and look for him." I suggested.

"Ah!" Gasped Ishimaru. "I was just about to suggest the same thing!"

"Stop trying to one-up e-everyone…" Stammered a slightly-frustrated Fukawa.

"Okay, then I'll go check his room one more time." Said Asahina. "I'm just gonna keep hammering that button till I get a response!"

"Very well, then the rest of us can go check the rest of the building." Said Sakura.

"Yeah." Nodded Hagakure. "Before it's, y'know… Too late."

I was disturbed at the thought that was put into my head, but we just have to do our best to find Togami. So, where might he have gone…?

Maybe he went to go check out the 2nd floor of the school again…

I made it to the 2nd floor. Hopefully, Togami's here. But where should I start…?

I heard Kirigiri's voice from behind my back. "So, you decided to come here, too…"

"…Huh?" I gasped as I turned to her.

"If you think about what Togami was so interested in yesterday, you can probably guess where he is right now, right?" She asked.

"You mean… The library?"

Kirigiri nodded. Without another word, I ran towards the library.

When I opened the door and looked inside, I cried out in sudden surprise:

"Togami!?"

He was in a chair, reading a book, and he had a white mug with a beverage in it. Of all the things I'd imagine, this most definitely wasn't one of them.

"Hey, uh…" I nervously began. Trying to find the right words. "What are you doing?"

"I'm fishing. What does it look like I'm doing?" Asked Togami without looking up from his book. "I'm trying to read. So if you could be quiet…"

"Oh… Sorry." I turned to leave, but then I remembered why we were looking for him. "Wait, no-! What are you doing here? Everyone's super worries! We've all been looking for you!"

"Who asked you to do that?" Asked Togami. Clearly unamused.

"B-Because…" I stammered. "We're all supposed to meet up in the morning and eat together. We made a promise!"

"A promise?" He repeated before sighing in annoyance. "Can't I get a second's peace and quiet around here?"

Togami snapped his book shut, and slowly stood up. Smooth and silent as a shadow. Meanwhile, the others must've heard me yell and started showing up. One after another.

"Togami!" Exclaimed Ishimaru. "So this is where you've been hiding!"

"The heck are you doin' here, man?" Asked Hagakure with a sigh.

"We were very concerned…" Stated Sakura.

"Well, you have no reason to be. I was just reading." Said Togami. "I've never read such a… Coarse novel before, but it might prove useful at some point."

"Wh-What were you reading?" Asked Asahina.

"A mystery novel." He replied.

"W-Wait, so are you gonna use what you're learning in there to betray us!?" Gasped Yamada.

"Don't be stupid." Sighed Togami. "It's just something to keep in mind."

"Wh-What?" I gasped.

"If I decide to fight, of course I'll come up with something original." He explained. "Otherwise, this game of ours will be totally boring, right? It's not often you get to take part in such a high-stakes, high-tension activity. So, if you're going to do it, you have to make sure it's entertaining."

And then he chuckled to himself, but not before his words sent a chill down my spine. There was an undeniable smile on his face as he spoke. He looked like he was actually enjoying himself; enjoying this deranged "Killing game"…

"What the fuck do you mean, "Game"!?" Exclaimed Mondo furiously. "That's fucked up!"

"But it is a game." Began Togami. "It's a game of life or death, which can only have one winner. That's all there is to it."

"He is right." Agreed Celeste. "It's a zero-sum game."

"Huh?" I gasped.

"It is a part of game theory, a mathematical model." She continued. "In game theory, what we are going through now is called a "Zero-sum game". In this type of game, in order for one person to gain something, another must necessarily lose something. In other words; it is a situation in which participants must compete for position or resources."

"You mean like… A kind of elimination match." Assumed Sakura.

"Entrance exams, sports tournaments, job openings, most social interactions fall into the category." Celeste explained. "Everyone must obtain something which is limited. For you to succeed, someone else must fail. This also applies to the school life we have been subjected to here. In this case…"

She then ended with words that turned my blood into ice:

"…Our "Limited resource" is that only one of us can successfully become the blackened."