The Trap Outside the Mind II

After running breathlessly for infinite minutes I start to see something at the horizon.

Smoke, a lot of it

-No...- I almost stop at that horrifying sight, we've been through that once before and nothing good came with it -No, no, no, NO!- I accelerate to the point of being a simple shadow to the naked human eye. Black clouds group up above me and lightnings begins to trace my path, welcoming me inside the Camp. I reach one hand above and call forth a spear made of living light and it impacts to the ground where the perimeter of the camp starts... Declaring my arrival.

...

I enter the new formed battlefield unsheathing my sword -Where's General Cai?!- I yell above the shouts, hopefully someone heard me... -Anyone from the Cai Army around?!- I fend off more men before realizing that it's just me against tons of enemies here

-Where's everyo...!- as I try to call once more I remember -The Feast... Damn, what a perfect moment to hit!- I turn around to look in the direction where then feast was being held and notice how the smoke lingers heavier in the air there -Cursed hell- I start running but feel a strong force pulling me back from my abdomen, stealing my breath away completely.

-You're not going anywhere little miss- an inhuman voice echoes as I turn with my defenses up. Something in between a beast and a human stands before me, his skin gray like charcoal and the eyes completely white with no pupil to be seen. -You really think I'm gonna waste time here with you?! DIE- I yell slashing him in two with my sword, his upper part slides off my sword and falls to the ground with no blood to be seen while his legs and abdomen moves a few steps around. I look at the scene unfolding in front of me with horror -What... Is this sorcery?- the legs bend down just enough for the arm to grab them and hiss the missing torso on top of thems. My sword slowly falls down my hand and when I finally realize it, it's already slipping from my fingers.

"How can I fight such monstrosity...?" I take a step back, I don't want to back down but I find myself doing it "No I can't, I cannot fight something that can't die!" I take one more step back, horrified. The flesh joins back together right where I cut it, then creature bends down and grabs the dead body of a soldier -What are you doing...?- he smirks and takes a few steps toward me, I seems to be running away apparently... Like a coward, like a looser, like a scared woman.

He begins laughing and switches the corpse to his left arm, holding it up by the wrist. What I see next is one of the worst scenes I've met so far since I joined the war.

He pulls on that wirst and the shoulder of the soldier begins to torn -No stop it...! Stop! Let him be dead in peace!- I yell as I see the pieces of fresh muscle and skin slowly separate in front of my eyes... It's like when you tear apart a piece of fabric, but the only difference is that this fabric was once alive and breathing -WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!- blood clogs down on the ground and dirth bones peak through that arm, he throws away the corpse and rises up the arm in the air -Don't tell me... You...- my eyes widely look at the scene, I want to advert my eyes but I still watch it all.

I watch as blood drips on his dark lips, as he stick out his tongue and lick that warm bone, I watch as he opens his mouth and bites down the whole arm, swallows it down and bends to grab one more corpse -Stop it... Stop it, stop... STOP IT I SAID- I fall on my knees "I'm useless now" I stay there looking at that creature tearing apart more corpses and eating his fill out of those fallen soldiers, my soldiers. My comrades and... My brothers.

-Why can't I do anything...? I've never been this weak before...- I murmur to myself "Are you a soldier or what?!" Asks a voice inside of me. Of course I am, what a stupid question... "Stand up and fight" -How?- "Just fight for damn's sake!" -But it's useless- "You're much more useless like this" it's my voice, is this what they call inner voice? -A blade is useless against that, so is striking him with any power unlike with those smoke beasts. This one doesn't use energy to regenerate itself so tiring it out or cutting his source out aren't options, it simply can't die-

"Burn it to ashes" -What if it doesn't work?- somehow my mind and real voice begins to blend together as I elaborate the words "When have I started being so cautious...? I will try anything just in the faint hope of success- I grab back my sword and walk toward that monster, I was much of a better soldier when I joined, I need to scroll off all this weakness away... I need to kill and shower myself under blood rain without feeling a thing, to end lives and not be regretful and sacrifice anyone when the situation requires me to.

I rise my sword, ready for an attack, but the creature is faster than me and sends me back a few meters. One knee bend and the other on the floor, he tries to come in me for another attack but I won't let him succeed again. My sword is unreachable for how far it went flying, so I rise my hand and allow thunders to enter his body as a counterattack. The skin lights up and the monster seems to be slower in its movements, indicating that it might be the right tactic to completely disintegrate the body.

Still, the hit already on its way comes and I have to cross my arms above my head to shield myself, getting pushed back a bit. I take this chance to stand up and run toward my sword -What? Running again? How are you so scared of me is what I wonderx oh o so mighty woman- I take my sword and swiftly turn around, charge it in thunderd and thrust it into the ground. A crack opens and flows toward that monster -Think that this will work? Ah!- he says looking at me, kneeled on the ground in front of him. I smile and twist the blade, deepening the crack to the point of breaking apart the ground beneath its feet.

The creature falls down and the walls of soil beside him buzz with thunders and flames, I approach it while rotating my sword in the air before getting into an attacking position -If I'm not yet strong enough I just need to drag my opponent down to my level... Now let's have a fair spar!- I shout and dash in its direction.

...

The creature dissipates into thin ash and flows away in the air.

I breath heavily with my arm still reaching out for my last attack, then my head falls down and my knees follows it... This battle went on for longer than expected, I drained myself almost completely to win over that thing. But if I didn't went this far, who knows what would have happened to the others men... -The others!- my eyes dart toward the feast location and I immediately stand up and run towards it.