Only I Am A Reader-Chapter 567: Timely Windfall

Although she was completely dressed in black that covered everything aside from her eyes like a ninja, the familiarly mysterious Enigma wasn't something that Leo would usually miss.

This was without a doubt the same fangirl who went on stage to get more people to join Cassian's fan club.

Of course, since he already made a list of possible suspects, it wasn't like this was out of Leo's expectations, it was just that seeing someone fangirl on him from up close was embarrassing regardless of his mental fortitude.

His poker face was still on, but he really wanted to look away. This wasn't a matter of being a tsundere or being easily embarrassed, it just invoked a primal instinct to cringe at the situation in place.

This was weird flattery, but even normal flattery was hard to accept when thrown right in the face.

'Now.'

In fact, it was time to end this before this slight mental shock disturbed the plan any longer.

"Oh!"

Grasping the air with his fingers was rather unnecessary as Leo could achieve the same effect through mental commands, yet, he did just that because it matched the weird atmosphere.

'If that's what it takes to scare them off.'

Naturally, Leo wasn't really into roleplay, but this was all a part of the plan. As long as it wasn't something excessive that crossed his lines, he was going to go with the flow until he could firmly convince this intruder to stop wasting his time.

However, unlike the impression that he was trying to give, what happened next was completely out of Leo's grasp.

'?'

Not to mention the mastery level of his abilities, just the superior Enigma that Leo possessed should have made it impossible for almost every Ability User to escape the shadow tendril's grasp…

Yet, aside from the obvious exception of Aurora, Leo had just witnessed the second person who could do so with familiar ease!

'This is…'

That being said, the source of Leo's shock was not the fact that it could be done, rather, it was the 'how' it was done.

'It wasn't a coincidence.'

While he kept his mind open to other possibilities, Leo's initial judgment of this strange fangirl was that she just happened to receive a convenient ability that allowed her to fuel her unhealthy obsession, but what just happened in front of his eyes proved that judgment to be completely wrong.

Instead of being confined by the trap that he had set off, the intruder was only surprised for a second before slipping through the shadow tendrils as if they were a part of her own ability!

"It-it-it really is Cassian!"

It wasn't a case of separate reactions. The intruder was undeniably surprised to be caught at first, but the main reason she was surprised was the fact that she managed to slip out of the trap.

The fact that she seemed to have verified Cassian's identity by doing so meant that her ability didn't just happen to be similar to Shadow Mastery but was definitely related to it.

'This changes everything.'

It didn't matter if this girl was actually related by blood to Cassian or if she was a stranger who just happened to receive an ability that was directly linked to his. Either way, the plan had to change.

"I-I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to bother you to this point..."

Whether it was the confidence she exuded when speaking in front of the crowd or the boldness she showed by breaking into Leo's house on dozens of occasions, Leo could see none of those strong emotions in the home invader's eyes.

'Is it a gap moe character?'

Novel settings aside, Leo found some reality in her behavior. After all, there wasn't just one fan who went crazy about someone or even the stuff they touched, only to cower and hide when finally faced with the genuine article.

In fact, the shy girl's Enigma was already moving, ready to aid her in escaping from the man she admired the most. However…

'Sorry, not this time.'

The plan was to catch her then teach her a moderate lesson then let her go with a mild threat, if that still didn't work, Leo would have had to escalate until he found the right breaking point, or so was initially the case.

'We have a lot to talk about.'

Considering what he had just witnessed, Leo's plan became the exact opposite. Even though the intruder seemed to want to leave now, her capturing priority multiplied manifolds.

Rather than the expected mental obsession, this was a special case of ability obsession. The former could be dispelled using the proper method, while the latter was potentially an impossible ordeal.

'A pest? More like a windfall.'

Leo's imagination might have gotten too ambitious with the new inputs, but regardless of whether he would fully implement the plan he had just come up with or not, he had to get to the bottom of this.

"I'm really really sorry!"

That being said, with the dark light appearing under the intruder's feet, it seemed like Leo didn't exactly have much of a say in this matter, but in reality…

'Even if we have the exact same ability…'

"Oh!"

Seeing the retracted shadow tendrils pouncing towards her once more, the shyness disappeared from the girl's eyes, completely replaced by excitement.

She had to leave no matter what, but feeling that fleeting connection once more was the most perfect farewell she could ask for!

"Thanks! Sorry!"

Even in such an awkward situation, the girl showed gratitude that was unbefitting of an intruder, all while emphasizing the fact that she couldn't stay behind even further.

'There is still one thing that can't be replicated.'

"Sorry?"

Unfortunately for her, the one who had their expectations reversed this time around was the polite(?) intruder. Instead of slipping into the light under her feet, she was comfortably held in the shadow tendril's embrace.

"Apology accepted."

Powered by 5-cycles refined Enigma, the shadow tendrils were simply unbreakable.