Author's Note: Holy hell, we've reached chapter 50! Thank you to everyone for the views, favorites, and follows, and a personal shoutout to Lindir's Gaze, whose comments always make me chuckle.
Chapter 50: Day 44
The air was heavy with silence as Togami finished what little story he had to tell the others. They all sat at the large dining room table, and as Togami glanced around, he saw that their faces were pale and expressions fearful. He knew what they were thinking: if his powerful family fell, what chance did theirs have of surviving whatever catastrophe was occurring outside? He sipped his coffee, letting his words sink in for the other students. Fukawa in particular appeared devastated, as if her own family had been slaughtered, for she kept reaching forward as it to touch him only to slither back when he glared in her direction. Naegi sat next to Togami with a serious expression and cup of coffee in front of him, offering whatever support he could to the corporate heir.
Once again, it was Kirigiri who broke the silence.
"What do you plan to do about it?"
Togami finished his cup and was surprised when Naegi reached out, grabbed it, and stood up. He watched his boyfriend walk back to the kitchen, no doubt to pour him another one. He sighed and returned his gaze to the Ultimate Detective. "I discussed a few things with Makoto," he answered. A few eyes widened at his use of the first name, but Togami didn't care. After last night, he understood just how deep his feelings went for the brunette, and he wasn't going to hide it. "And I believe that my butler, Aloysius, may still be alive. I will therefore return to the ruins of the corporation and seek out any information on him in order to determine what exactly happened."
"And from there?"
"From there, I will begin rebuilding." Naegi returned and set the new cup of coffee down in front of him, and Togami offered a light nod before taking a sip of the hot brew. "I will find my old contacts and determine how many of them are still alive. I have assets outside the corporation in my name that I'll look into. But regardless, I'll do what I can to rebuild the corporation. It's my duty as the remaining Togami."
"Holy fuck, what a mess," Owada muttered.
"I am terribly sorry for your loss, Togami," Taka stated, tears lining his eyes.
"And just what are we gonna do if his big, badass family got wiped out?" asked Enoshima.
Celeste sipped her own tea before whispering, "If his family is gone, then it is most likely safe to assume that ours, too, have been killed in some brutal fashion. As have the families of our former friends."
"You're awfully calm about that!" Maizono cried out. She wasn't hiding her own tears, though Togami suspected they were more for herself than him.
"Well, I hate to burst this joyous bubble, but I have some news to share!"
The sound of Monokuma's voice caught everyone off guard, and all eyes turned to see the bear standing at the entrance to the dining hall. Togami frowned as the animatronic monstrosity approached the table. Kirigiri stepped aside, allowing him to climb up, and with a newspaper in hand, he walked directly up to Togami with that cheeky grin and flashing red eye of his. He held out his paw and proclaimed, "Tah-dah! Proof that you're a sole survivor! Congratulations!"
Togami's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped at the newspaper article held in front of him. Swiping it from Monokuma, he placed it down on the table and felt his hands clench into fists. Images of the Togami Corporate building burning to the ground were on the front page, exactly as Togami recalled in his dream. Next to it were paragraphs detailing the arson attack, as well as a listing of those found dead. Togami recognized all the names as those of his family or their closest security agents, and he slowly scanned the article, reading and committing each line to memory.
"Poor, poor Togami, all by his lonesome now!" Monokuma practically squealed with joy. He twirled down the table, pointing at the other students, as he rambled, "Just imagine, if big bad Togami couldn't save his family, what are the chances of–"
Togami's eyes widened. "He's not listed here."
"Huh?"
Togami's frown turned to a smirk as he reread the article. All eyes turned to him. He held the paper up and pointed at the list of individuals found dead. "Aloysius," he simply stated. "My butler. He is not listed here."
"I mean, they're not gonna list a stupid butler!" Monokuma argued.
"They would if they listed Darius, my mother's security guard," Togami countered. "Aloysius isn't here. That means he's alive."
"Or burned so badly that–"
"No. He's alive." Togami slammed his palms down on the table and stood. "Don't come waltzing in here again trying to deceive us or mock us. I am Togami Byakuya, heir to the Togami Corporation! I will find my butler and make the corporation better than anything this world has ever seen! This Tragedy was merely a setback, and you can take pleasure all you want in our suffering, but I refuse to sit here and merely let my family's corporation be forgotten to history. This is all the proof I required, and now, it's all the motivation I need!"
"L-L-Look at Master g-go!" Fukawa screamed in ecstasy, her eyes all but rolling to the back of her head as she clasped her hands together.
"Ha! Big words for some kid sitting next to his barista boyfriend!" Monokuma mocked. "You gotta get out of here first, after all! And don't forget, that requires two As on the report card!"
"Grrr, just get the fuck outta here already!" Owada shouted as he, too, stood from his seat. "You've done enough bullshit as it is!"
"Fine, fine. But Togami, feel free to keep that newspaper clipping. Maybe you can hang it next to your other pictures! Puh-hu-hu-hu!"
The students watched as Monokuma sauntered out the way he came. Sighing once the door closed, Togami crossed his arms over her chest and growled. "I will rebuild," he hissed. "I will do whatever it takes."
"Let us hope you have the stats to take on such a nightmarish challenge," Yamada remarked.
"But how do you plan to do that?" inquired Fujisaki.
"By looking at what we have now," Togami answered. He glanced down at Naegi, who nodded in understanding and also stood.
"And what do we have now?" asked Hina with wide eyes.
"We have everything in this school," Naegi answered. "Byakuya and I talked last night about it. We have a ton of resources we can take out of this place once we make our escape. He's going to start in the library looking at files that may connect to his family. I thought about searching the gardens for plants and seeds, food stuff we can bring along with us. And the warehouse is full of food and clothes we can use!"
"You're preparing for the apocalypse," Ogami noted, yet a soft smile crossed her sharp features. "Yet it seems entirely foolish to leave everything behind here."
"B-But what if this is all some sort of joke?" asked Enoshima.
"Terrible joke, if you ask me," Kuwata countered. "I'm with Naegi on this one. Better safe than sorry if the freakin' apocalypse is happenin'."
"We have to prepare for the worst," Togami declared. "If my family couldn't survive, then that tells me everything I need to know about what to expect."
"But what about our families, our friends?" Maizono protested. "We're not just dropping everything to help you rebuild your empire, Togami."
"I'm not expecting you to," Togami argued. "But you all have limited resources. While I do, too, I may have more. And I'm offering to assist you all in finding your families if you stick with me." Eyes widened at the offer, and Togami saw more than a few faces turn from suspicious to slow acceptance.
"It will also make more sense for us all to stick together," Kirigiri remarked. "After all, what can we do individually if there is a true apocalypse outside? By staying together as a group, we ensure resources stay in one location and aren't unnecessarily divided. We can also protect each other from whatever is out there."
"Yo, you find out what happened to my biker gang, and I'll do whatever ya want," Owada stated. "That's my offer."
"And I have to agree with Kirigiri," Taka noted. "I… I can't imagine how my family is doing, but I don't want to be alone out there. I'll stick with my brother here, if it means we can at least work together to handle whatever's outside."
"Maybe we can travel together until we find a plot of land that we can farm or something?" asked Hina. "I mean, if we're taking seeds and foodstuff, we'll need to plant them. And donut shops! We have to raid the donut shops!" Clasping her hands together, she proclaimed, "A farm next to a donut shop! That's it!"
"This is all assuming we even get out of here," Celeste reminded them. "First, we must build that back-up Monokuma and solve the mysteries of the school."
"We already have two of the three riddles solved," Naegi replied. "We know that the Tragedy was a catastrophic event that changed the outside world and led to a lot of death and destruction. Our memories, and Byakuya's in particular, can all testify to that. And we know that we are here because we chose to be here. That's at least the consensus coming from our memories."
"So we just need to find out what happened to the principal, and we're all set," Kuwata mumbled. "What a pain in the ass…"
"I'm taking care of that," Kirigiri declared. "The rest of you can focus on exploring the school and building the back-up."
"Fine by me," said Enoshima. "The less work, the better."
"But you're doing all right, Togami?" Fujisaki suddenly asked. "You aren't… You're okay after what you saw?"
Togami nodded. "I have a plan to move forward. That's all I need."
"All right. And… I'm sorry for your loss."
Togami sipped his coffee and nodded once more. "I appreciate it."
"So, what is our game plan?" asked Taka. "What are we doing now?"
"I'm going to the library," Togami proclaimed. "That is my first order of business. To find documents related to my family and to pick out books that I'll be taking with us once we leave."
"I need a good swim after this," Hina remarked. "A swim, and then some donuts. But I may also look into the lockers and stuff. See if there are any supplies that may be good for when we leave."
"I'll come join you," Ogami noted. Smiling over at Maizono, she added, "And why don't you tag along?"
"I… I think I'm…" Maizono's pale face did nothing to hide her inner turmoil.
"You should go." Kirigiri's statement was much more demand than suggestion, and Togami blinked in surprise when she added, "And I'll go along as well."
"All girls, report to the pool, ASAP!" Hina cried out as she bolted from her seat. She rushed around the table and pulled Maizono out of her chair.
"E-E-Even me?!" cried out Fukawa, yet Ogami had already grabbed her arm and was dragging her along. Kirigiri smirked at the scene before shooting Togami a look.
"Take care of yourself tonight," she whispered. "Don't go overboard."
"I won't," he replied with a nod. Kirigiri smiled, turned, and began to leave the dining hall.
As the girls left, Owada sighed heavily. "Maaaan, now what?"
"How about some billiards?" inquired Naegi. "We haven't played in a few days."
"I guess that sounds good…"
"May I join in the games, as well?" asked Taka.
"Everyone can join if they want," Naegi stated. "We can all just hang out and take turns."
"I'll go up and play darts," Kuwata remarked. "I could get some of this anger out. This is all such bullshit."
Looking around at them all, Togami shrugged, finished his cup of coffee, then stated, "I will join in billiards, as well, then."
"But don't you have your–"
Togami cut off Owada's words. "The books aren't going anywhere. And it seems like everyone has agreed we need to take tonight off to relax."
"All right, suit yourself." Nodding, Togami waited for Naegi to return the empty coffee mugs to the kitchen. As he did, he took the newspaper clipping and read it one final time before inhaling a sharp breath of air.
"I'll find you, Aloysius. I promise." Folding it gently and placing it in his pocket, he smirked down at Naegi, who smiled warmly up at him, before taking his boyfriend's hand in his own and following the others out of the dining hall.