Only I Am A Reader

"Oh. Did you finally think of something?"

What do you humans do when they are cornered? Some beg for their lives, while others accept their fate after fighting valiantly to the very end.

However, there were a few who always believed there was a way out. If Leo wanted to, he could end the whole thing at any moment, but he was looking forward to Miyu's reaction.

Among everyone else, her attempt at cheating death was worth listening to.

"So it was Cassian-sama. I should have seen that coming."

Miyu felt that she had finally understood the whole thing. Her opponent was really a crazy Villain, but it wasn't the type of villain that he claimed to be.

"You are using honorifics with me as well? Don't tell me that you want to escape this by licking my boots?"

Once again, it was a bit out of character, but Leo had to throw in hints of crazy so his act wouldn't be blown. It was all gibberish from the mouths of third-tier villains that strangely suited the current situation.

"Of course not. It's just how I'm used to addressing those who have a certain degree of fame, you aren't called the Lord of Shadows for nothing. That aside, I have an offer to make."

Miyu's mind grew ice cold and she forced herself to stay calm. Her opponent's identity might have given her a way out, but his nature could ruin everything if she chose the wrong words.

"You are still going on about negotiating your way out? …Well, go ahead. I'm not going to tell you what I'm here for anymore, but if you guess correctly, I might really spare your life."

"There is no need to guess. You must be here for Aurora."

Rather than dilly-dallying and losing Cassian's interest, Miyu chose to go big or go home. She was that confident in her hypothesis!

"Oh? And why would that be the case?"

"I know you probably let her capture you the first time, but…"

Rather than the common guess that Cassian actually held a grudge against Aurora, Miyu had always believed that Cassian himself had also scammed the oblivious Hero.

It was just that his reason for scamming her wasn't as materialistic as hers.

'If anything, my purpose is closer to his.'

"You aren't done with her, are you?"

In Miyu's opinion, Cassian wasn't the single-minded Villain that the authorities painted him to be. His track record was as random as could be, and the reason behind everything he did could be represented by a single word.

'He is a psychopath.'

While he might have let the Heroine rise to fame at his own expense, he did it all to eventually break her.

Hunting her teammates was likely just a side task for him to make the mind break even deeper, but Aurora was still his true target!

"Hm?"

"If you promise to let me go, I will help you capture her without any effort. Aurora was still a fledgling then, but she is now a bit scary."

Naturally, Miyu didn't expect a psychopath like Cassian to keep his promise, but all she needed was a window to escape. As long as she timed it well when he got busy with handling Aurora, she believed she could make a run for it.

"Of course, the Lord of Shadows can still capture her regardless. However, her state would likely be less than ideal."

'She isn't wrong.'

"It's okay if you aren't convinced, but why risk it when there is a much easier option? Even if it sounds like I'm trying to trick you, you can dispose of me the moment I do something wrong."

'She is also quite the backstabber.'

Miyu's last hurrah didn't deviate the slightest bit from Leo's expectations. Although she wasn't dumb enough to believe he came for revenge, she ended up dyeing Leo in her own colors.

"Well, there is no need to guess indeed."

Miyu's smile widened once she heard Leo's response, there really was a chance for her to get out of this.

"Unfortunately…"

However, what followed was the exact opposite of her expectations. Instead of freeing her, Leo grabbed hold of her Enigma Stone.

"You got the wrong answer."

The smart girl's face froze as her eyes lost all color. She felt like a piece of her heart was being cut out! Just what kind of torturing method was this crazy person using?!

"I told you already, didn't I? You are my target."

'When did this go wrong-'

Miyu's thoughts were quickly thrown into disarray. Had she misread her target? Was Cassian actually trying to torment Aurora by targeting her teammates instead?

'Good for you.'

She was one step closer to the false truth that Leo was trying to paint, but she didn't catch a glimpse of his true objective.

'I would have had to kill you then.'

If Miyu's observation and deduction skills had kept surpassing his expectations, Leo would have disposed of her. After all, not only couldn't he afford to be exposed just yet, but he also couldn't have someone that capable holding a grudge against him.

In the end, Miyu was just another stepping stone in his path, so she could be spared after receiving the appropriate punishment.

'Oh.'

However, while Leo was absentmindedly performing the deprivation procedure, he was suddenly met with resistance for the very first time!

'Is it different because of the ability's nature? Or…'

Focusing his senses on his infiltrating Enigma, Leo considered the possibilities. His first two experiment subjects both had defense abilities, yet they showed little to no reaction.

On the other hand, Miyu's offensive ability seemed to be trying its best to remain intact.

'Is it the Sword Spirit?'

Feeling the sharp edge that was being transmitted through his Enigma, Leo felt convinced of his guess. This might have been only possible because Miyu's ability had some level of sentience.

'Not that it matters.'

Unfortunately, an advanced ability's protest was nothing more than futile resistance. The quality and presence of Leo's Enigma couldn't be pushed away with some sword tricks.

'Sweat dreams.'

Just like that, Leo's team had over half of Aurora's teammates in his custody!