Chapter Eighty:

Pain

Iana: 2800

Doctor: 3500

"Heh heh heh...you were pretty confident in the beginning, weren't you, Iana?" Doctor laughed after having placed two new spell cards into his duel disk. "Now you're on the ground, blood dripping from your leg. Still confident, Iana-chan?"

Iana ignored his mocking voice, trying to stay conscious. Damn it...with Double Attack...and Fusion Weapon...he can do a total of...fifty-four hundred damage...

"Ah, it's hard to breath for you now, let alone speak." said Doctor, calming down a little. "My apologies. I forgot that you are not used to pain."

"Since you've finally seemed to mellow out, I suppose you now remember not to kill her." said Meander, reminding the others of his presence. "We have to stick to the mission that he gave us..."

'He'...? thought Watage. A second later, he shook his head. No, Iana's more important right now...

"Stop the duel, Doctor!" yelled Watage. "Please! Iana won't survive another blow!"

Doctor looked at the pleading Watage with a pleased look on his face.

"I love the sound of begging." he said, "It really makes me feel important. Although it won't make me spare Iana from her defeat. Michael, with the fifteen hundred attack point boost from the Fusion Weapon (2700), as well as the Double Attack's effect of allowing him to attack twice, not to mention his own ability to attack directly...will completely and utterly destroy Iana."

Watage looked in horror at the injured Iana, and tried to rush towards Doctor. Hands from the shadows grabbed his arms and turned into shackles, forcing him to do naught but watch. Iana was still struggling to get up, finally back on her feet...barely...

"IANA!" he yelled, "IANA!"

"Swift Knight- Michael (2700/1000)! Attack Iana Matsuyama directly, twice! End this duel!"

Iana was stabbed twice- once in the right arm, almost destroying it. When this happened, she fell backwards, the force of the fall knocking her glasses off (ILP: 100). After this, Michael's shadow covered her body, even if she couldn't see it.

"Shin...ta..." she whispered, as the Knight stabbed her for the third time, now in the side.

Iana: 0

"Too easy." said Doctor. "Now, Meander...I'll open a little 'door' so our guest outside can come in...tell me when you're ready."

Meander nodded, placing his hands out in front of him, towards Iana. He stuck one finger out, shooting something into her forehead.

At the same time, Shinta came bursting in via the door that Doctor had made. When he saw Iana on the ground, covered in blood, his eyes were filled with a bloody rage.

"DOCTOR!" he yelled. But before he could move, Iana started to get up.

"Iana!" he exclaimed, moving towards her. "Don't try to move...!"

Iana got up fully, as if she wasn't injured at all. When she stared at Shinta, the latter noticed something strange...her eyes were white as snow.

She smiled.

"Is it you...?" she whispered. Her voice grew louder. "Are you the one...I get to kill?"

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Deep underground, something stirred. It moved in response to something...but what?

Was it the defeat of Iana Matsuyama? Was it the victory of Doctor? Was it the use of Meander's power? Was it the Shadow Game in general?

...no, it was none of those. But if not them, then what could it have been?

That is a story for another time.

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Shinta was bewildered. He didn't know how to react to Iana's actions. She, who was injured to the point where she shouldn't even be able to move, was standing as if her body was perfectly normal. Not only that, but she was smiling.

"Well?" she asked. She turned to Doctor, "Is it him, Meander?"

It was then that Shinta noticed the little purple creature sitting on Doctor's shoulder. Iana was looking at it, not Doctor.

"Yes." he said, "That is the target. Destroy him at all costs- even your own life."

"You bastard..." Shinta muttered.

"What's that?" Doctor laughed, "Did you say something, Kenshin number two?"

"What did you do to her, you son of a bitch?!"

"He did nothing." said the other creature. "I, Meander, simply allowed her to close her mind to the pain and suffering. She now knows nothing but following my orders. In such a situation, perhaps you should even thank me..."

"Thank you for what?" asked Shinta, his dark bangs falling over his tipped head. "Hurting my friend? Forcing her to forget about everyone she knows and cares about? How naive of you...thinking I'd actually thank you for that..."

"Heh heh..." said Doctor. He smiled. "We're naive? You don't even know how much you're actually hurting her...by calling her a friend. You're so blind, Shinta Menzuro...so blind to her feelings."

"You think you know her better than me, bastard?!" Shinta tried to run towards Doctor, but Iana raised her hands in defense. "...Iana..."

"Don't go near them." she said. She had already reshuffled her deck, and now her duel disk was reactivated. "Let's duel, Shinta Menzuro. And when you lose, I'm going to kill you. I don't care what you do to me if you win."

"Iana...!" objected Shinta, but Iana ignored him. She had already drawn five cards, and allowed the Shadow Bubble to form.

"Watage, Doctor, and Meander can observe..." she said, grinning. "Prepare to die, Shinta."

"Urg..." Shinta reluctantly activated his duel disk. He knew that once a Shadow Game was started, it couldn't be stopped.

"...duel..." he growled.

Shinta: 4000

Iana: 4000

"My move first!" yelled Iana. "I set one spell or trap card face-down and end my turn!"

Shinta shuddered. He looked at her five-card hand, knowing that there had to be a monster in there.

"What's wrong, Shinta?" asked Iana. "You can strike me directly on this turn, you know...it's my fault for not shuffling well enough. So, go on. Strike!"

Shinta drew, biting his lip. He looked at his six-card hand with sorrow, seeing nothing but good cards.

I can win... he thought. But at what cost? If I attack her directly, then I could damage her a whole lot more than she is now...no, I could kill her. I have to destroy her by destroying her monsters only...that's the only way I can get out of this.

Even if it means that I lose, I can't let Iana die!

"One face-down monster." said Shinta, "And a set card behind it. My turn ends."

"Hmph, how boring." Iana drew a card, "Playing defensive...I never thought I'd see the day. Goddammit, Shinta...you're seriously holding back because you don't want me to die?"

She snorted, placing a monster on the field. "You piss me off, Menzuro! I summon Destruction Nanite (0/0) in attack mode!"

Shinta's face-down monster, Monk Guard (100/2000), was destroyed by a sudden strike from the gray, bug-like robot. Shinta grimaced, knowing the monster's effect.

"And now I play my face-down card!" shouted Iana. "Nanite Processing Factory! With it, I can special summon another Nanite from my deck...Nanite Soldier (0/0)!"

Another bug-like robot appeared, this time coloured red, and wielding a small sword. The sword, though, was handed to Destruction Nanite, giving it extra power (1000/0).

"Destruction Nanite, attack him directly!" Iana grinned as she said this, grinned as the robot struck Shinta (SLP: 3000). "Ha ha ha ha! Take that, Shinta Menzuro!"

The sword had cut into Shinta's right leg, forcing him to drop to his knee for a second.

"How nostalgic." said Doctor, placing a finger on his chin. "I seem to remember you on your knees in our first duel as well, Shinta. I believe it was after I played the Illusion of Happiness?"

"Shut the hell up..." said Shinta, grinding his teeth. "You're not...a part of this duel...!"

He forced his leg to carry his weight, now standing on both feet. Iana smiled in response.

"I end my turn." she said. And now, Shinta...fall into my trap.

I know that you'll want to cause as much damage to me as possible, while only attacking my monsters. So, you'll attack my Soldier Nanite. And, on my next turn...I'll damage you even further...

"My turn!" said Shinta, drawing. I have to kill Soldier Nanite! That'll bring her down by a huge chunk, with no damage to her body! This is the perfect chance!

"I discard Monk Fighter from my hand in order to normal summon Monk Strongman (2400/0)!" said Shinta, smiling. The giant monk appeared with unexpected grace, flexing his muscles as he did. "And now my Monk will attack...your Soldier Nanite!"

Excellent... thought Iana.

The red robot was eliminated by the Strongman's strength, damaging Iana's score, but not her body.

Iana: 1600

"Heh heh..." said Iana, still smiling. You may be winning, Shinta...but this isn't a battle you're used to. This isn't a normal, fighting battle...

...this is a psychological battle...

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Next Time:

Pain 2: The Psychological Battle

Shinta and Iana continue their duel, Shinta quickly falling behind as a result of Iana's psychological powers! Shinta has to quickly figure a way out of this situation, but how can he...if he can't even realize that he's in a bad situation?!

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Author's Note: W00t! New LS: Z chapter! Enjoy, people!

Sorry for the temporary absence. I just didn't know how to start the Shinta/ Iana duel...

Anyways...

So that's what Meander's power is, huh? Hmmmm...and now he's forcing Iana to fight Shinta. I wonder how this will turn out?

Please R&R!

-Salazare