ZERO SUM: Gods of Intelligence Chapter 1 — "Invitation to Elimination"
Tokyo.
Rain falls like static noise.
At exactly 11:11 PM, five envelopes are delivered across the city.
No camera footage.
No delivery trace.
No fingerprints.
Inside:
"To the Top 5 Minds of Tokyo.
Your intelligence has been measured.
Prove it.
Helix Tower. 3:00 AM.
Come alone.
Refusal equals disqualification."
Light Yagami
He smiles.
"Measured? By who?"
This isn't random.
Someone capable of finding him… is dangerous.
L
Already analyzing the paper fibers.
"Industrial print. High budget. Intentional anonymity."
He grins.
"A challenge."
Kiyotaka Ayanokoji
Blank expression.
"An organization capable of tracking me?"
That alone makes this worth attending.
Ren Ishigami (New Character #1)
Strategic prodigy.
Unknown records.
Disappeared from national competitions at 14.
He burns the letter.
Memorizes the burn pattern.
Akira Saotome (New Character #2)
Cold mathematician.
Probability monster.
He calculates risk.
Attendance probability: 94%.
Death probability: 38%.
He still goes.
3:00 AM — Helix Tower
Abandoned corporate skyscraper.
Top floor lights up as five enter separately.
No guards.
No host.
Just a massive digital screen.
It flickers.
A distorted voice echoes:
"Welcome, Tokyo's finest minds.
You are not competing for money.
You are competing for supremacy."
The floor beneath them locks.
Metal shutters seal the exits.
Phones lose signal.
On the screen:
GAME 01 — TRUST NULL
Rules appear:
Each of you has been assigned a hidden role.
One of you is the "Saboteur."
The Saboteur's objective: Ensure at least one innocent is eliminated.
The others must identify the Saboteur.
You have 60 minutes.
Failure to eliminate someone results in all players losing.
Silence.
No one speaks.
Because they understand instantly:
This is not about finding the Saboteur.
This is about controlling perception.
Light thinks:
"If I manipulate the vote, I control survival."
L thinks:
"The Saboteur may not know they are the Saboteur."
Ayanokoji thinks:
"They're watching how we think, not what we choose."
Ren studies breathing patterns.
Akira calculates probability trees in his head.
The timer begins.
59:59
59:58
59:57
No alliances.
No trust.
Only zero-sum survival.
And somewhere…
Someone among them smiles.
End of Chapter 1.