...…

The battle between Sairen and Roger lasted for quite some time already but its state still hadn't changed much since the very beginning. Even though the one dictating the flow the battle kept on changing sides, the battle itself was still in absolute deadlock.

Both of the fighters kept on finding some unbelievable ways to get away from a certain predicament that was a very hard escape into. And every time the audiences saw that, they couldn't help but become even more crazy and stand from their seats.

But the real experts watching this fight couldn't help but knit their eyebrows the more they watched the fight. As more time passed, they kept having a feeling that there was odd in this fight; it just they couldn't pinpoint exactly what was it.

Even Owen and Joyce who were expecting that this was going to be a very entertaining and close fight, couldn't help but feel that there was something wrong with the fight as the battle continued.

Due to that, they couldn't help but put some doubt in the entire fight itself – especially when they recalled what Shin had said earlier.

'Are these two really staging this fight?' – these were the thoughts that kept on running inside their heads as the battle progressed.

With that, they couldn't help turn their heads at Shin while asking themselves. 'But why are these two going to do that?'

Sensing their gazes and feeling their moods, Shin started shaking his head bitterly while saying to them. "I already told you. I also don't know."

Hearing that, Owen couldn't help but asked unconsciously. "But how are you able to pinpoint what is wrong in this match after seeing them with just a few exchanges? And-… how can you be so sure?"

Shin was caught a little off-guard after hearing that question. He thought for a moment before saying. "That-… Is quite-… hard to explain. Let's just say, that is what my senses are telling me after seeing them exchange a few of their moves."

Owen squinted his eyes as he didn't completely buy Shin's answer; he felt that there was still something in it – it just he couldn't express what was it. Then he suddenly recalled a certain thing.

Shin added him as a friend with his 'real identity' which was why Owen was aware that this guy had two monstrously strong identities. And that was why he was calling him an absolute monster.

Together with this, he also remembered that the online platforms were currently exploding with a certain topic that was pretty much unrelated to the Shadow Ranking Cup. But even if that was the case, the popularity of this topic was almost on par with the discussions regarding the current tournament.

And that topic was the battle between the two rising stars of the Saint Heaven Kingdom, the 'Nameless Swordsman' who was currently known as the 'Angel of Death' and the player 'Sickarius' that had the title of 'Emperor of the Night'.

All of these come together, making Owen come to a realization. "Ah! Could it be!"

Hearing that, Shin suddenly turned his head back at Owen and spoke. "That is what I am thinking. But as I said, I am also not that sure if it is really the case."

Then Owen immediately asked. "But can the system let that happen!?"

Shin shrugged his shoulders and said nonchalantly. "Who knows? That is why I am quite interested in this match right now."

Then he stopped talking but he still sent a message at Owen, saying – "Or maybe we are wrong and they are really two different people who know each other very well. Or perhaps-... a twin?"

Seeing that message, Owen was suddenly frozen in place realizing that it might be true. Then he became even more impressed with this guy in front of him. 'This monster is really scary. Good thing that I am on his good side.'

Meanwhile, Joyce kept on turning her head as they discussed. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't understand what they were saying. And when she was unable to take it anymore, her annoyance finally exploded. "And what are the two of you talking about?! Mind if you explain it to me a little bit?! I can't understand you at all!"

Shin and Owen simultaneously turned their head at her before looking back at each other. And when Owen saw Shin shrugging his shoulders, he refused to tell her the truth since he didn't want to expose Shin's twin identity.

So, he just looked at her and said. "Well-… it is quite hard to explain, so I don't know how I am going to say it. Maybe-… some other time."

Hearing that, Joyce suddenly squinted her eyes but didn't ask any further. From what she could tell, these two seemed to have some gentlemen's agreement. All she could do was to narrow her eyes while looking at Owen with pouting lips. Then she turned her head away from him with a 'hmph' sound, and seemed to be planning to ignore him for quite some time.

Seeing that, Owen could only shake his head and smile bitterly. 'Sigh~, Looks like I need to find some time to fix this.'

At this point of time, Owen's peripheral vision suddenly saw Shin standing up from his seat with an intention of leaving.

Seeing that, Owen immediately asked. "What!? You are going already? The match is still going on!"

Hearing that, Shin shook his head briefly before saying to him. "Do you think that there is still a point watching this fight?"

"Hey! Hey! You are talking ironically once again! Didn't you just say that this fight pretty much piques your interest?" asked Owen with full of confusion.

Shin smiled behind his mask and said. "Yeah, you are right. But this match is pretty much over."

Those words made Owen even more confused and turned his head at the battle arena and saw that the battle was still going. In fact, it was still in a 'hot' state. Then he turned his head back to Shin and looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

Knowing the meaning behind that look, Shin suddenly grinned. "You don't believe me? Then let me give a prediction."

He paused for a moment before continuing. "That fight will last for a couple of minutes before one of them is going to make a 'mistake'; who is most likely Sairen. And before he could even recover himself, the muzzle of Roger's gun was already pointing on his face."

"And that exact moment is going to be the 'unexpected' yet a 'flashy' ending of this battle."

Hearing that, Owen and Joyce couldn't help but become quite doubtful. They looked at him with a weird expression on their face before as if they were saying. – "Are you some sort of director or something to say that?" –

Shin started chuckling as if he could read the meaning behind the expression on their faces. But regardless, he still waved his hand and them while saying. "It doesn't matter if you are going to believe me or not. I am going now so that you two can enjoy your quality time together."

He then didn't wait for them to reply and immediately exited the VIP right after saying those words.

The pair of Owen and Joyce stared blankly at the spot where Shin disappeared from before looking at each other with a bitter look on their face. Then they resumed watching the match all the way until they were frozen on their seats.

The match ended in a very unexpected yet a satisfying fashion. And this ending really stunned most of the audience and made them really crazy. Everyone seemed to be saying that it was a 'very close fight'.

Even though the experts still felt that there was something odd about this fight, they still agreed with the majority since it was indeed a very good fight.

Well, except for Owen and Joyce who didn't know how they were going to react to this outcome. The fight indeed ended in a very beautiful fashion but they couldn't seem to agree with what everyone had said.

Just like what Shin had told them a few moments ago, the battle indeed continued for a couple of minutes before it finally ended – with the rest of the fight progressing just like how Shin portrayed it earlier.

What's more, both of them became even more stunned when they saw how the match had ended. It was not due to the ending having a picture-perfect conclusion, but because that very last moment was the exact same scene that Shin had described just a few moments ago.

They turned their heads at each other and saw the stunned expression on their face. And when they finally recovered themselves, Joyce immediately asked. "Just who is that friend of yours, really?"

Hearing that, Owen started shaking his head in a helpless manner while smiling bitterly. Then he looked at her with a weird expression on his face before saying. "To be honest-… I also really don't know."

...…