Throughout the numerous battlefields there were two individuals largely unaffected by the changes in gravity, with the exception of one spectator. One was Hiro, to him this wasn't a new experience, gravity magic though high class and difficult was common in his world. Even in his day to day life he interacted with a mage capable of using such magic, Soltia.

  Hiro took full advantage of this, asking her to help him train with it and thanks to that he had learned plenty of means that allowed him to continue fighting without his strength diminishing. Even sword force which wasn't even a technique but a raw ability could be used to counter the changes in gravity on himself.

  "I remember when I used to train under such effects."

  He said looking around him, he was currently far from others after charging in to sever the life force vein between the clone bodies and the core. He could see the struggle, he wanted to help but helping came at the cost of ignoring clone bodies he had yet to sever their life force vein. If they reached the others in the process they would be more of a danger than what they currently faced.

  And it wasn't like how he started, severing the life force was becoming increasingly harder as the fragment got used to his tactics, using Spiriton to tear space and arrive atop its head then attack.

  (I'll just have to move faster and improvise more.)

  With a simple slash two tears appeared in space, one right where he slashed and the second appearing just above the clone body's head. Hiro wasted no time went straight in.

  It had seen this several times now thus it quickly guarded as it retreated.

  Fwoosh fwoosh fwoosh!

  Lava bullets shot out from its mouth aimed right at the tear but contrary to expactation Hiro did not emerge from it. It's eyes narrowed realising this was a feint as it returned its gaze onto the ground but Hiro was nowhere to be found. Only a second space tear had appeared beside the first and apparently already self mending. It immediately looked above its head but there was nothing there. Just as it was about to sweep its immediate surroundings with its gaze, it felt a sudden presence on the back of its neck.

  It did not bother turning around but attacked as it was instead. Its tail came fast like a well trained whip, lashing at Hiro without even grazing its neck.

  Bam!

  Hiro was hit and sent flying before it, but he had guarded against the attack.

  (Sigh, if only ranged slashes could move through space tears.)

  He thought feeling desolate as he slashed with Spiriton and Epsilon, mixing ranged slashes with space slashes. And quite expectedly they were almost evaded without a single one landing, their trajectory was fixed after all and the clone was now fast to dodge consecutively despite its size. But if ranged slashes could move through space tears then he could alter their trajectory, although crudely but with their stealthly nature it would be a game changer.

  As he was floating away he looked defenseless, and the fragment acted as any opponent would. Seizing this moment to attack with complete might, a torrent of lava chased after him while spikes shooting out of the ground also homing in on him. But he wasn't flustered, in the next moment he willed and sword force took over changing his direction and bringing him forward.

  (A cover.)

  Hiro thought charging into the torrent of lava and within he formed another space tear, bringing him above it. It's focus was still where he was a moment ago not noticing that he was above. Having reached this point all it took was a single ranged slash from Hiro and the life force vein was severed. After cutting it he moved onto another clone body, he could not attack it any further otherwise there was a chance it could be too damaged giving the fragment a chance to abandon the clone and make another. After continuing in a similar fashion Hiro finally dealt with the last clone body.

  "Fortunately it hasn't replenished its numbers, whether its because it can't spare the effort or see's this isn't an advantage, is irrelevant."

  He said while looking in certain direction, it was far but from here he could see Akarn's royal battle ship.

  On it the second unaffected individual leading a group of finders finally found the core. Everyone around him had grim expressions, its location wasn't unexpected but there hadn't been a solution to targeting it. But his wasn't as gloomy, for him with this task completed he could finally go on the offensive, fighting alongside the battle ship.

  "First, to let key individuals know."

  He was about to request everyone to lend a hand with spreading the word using messenger golems when Hiro arrived through a space tear.

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  "For a second I thought my eyes were failing me but you really are here."

  Said Hiro approaching Aleus.

  "Like I said, I'll be part of the subjugation"

  He replied confidently only to deflate when he remembered his father's words.

  (Hopefully my merit offsets it enough that I end up with light punishment at most.)

  "True but how did you do it, teleportation array?"

  Curiously asked Hiro taking a sitting down and leaning on the ships railing, putting Epsilon beside him while Spiriton returned to its subspace.

  "I would be happy to explain but the situation isn't so optimistic. The core is at the center of the moon."

  "I hoped it wouldn't be this way."

  Hiro said without the slightest bit of surprise.

  "You seem more relaxed than I thought you would be."

  Noted Aleus.

  "There's not much that can be done. We don't have a solution so we'll have to think about one while time allows. And the battlefield is more stable than you'd think, not factoring the core our side is the one winning right now. And you don't have to give an answer to my question I know the answer already, dream rune."

  Aleus confirmed with a silent nod before he proceeded with his prior actions. While he did that Hiro looked right below, with life sight he could see through the battle ship and saw a vast sphere of blue light life force. It was as vast as the oceans and as deep as the earth but his view of it was limited to the surface thus he could not see the center. And with life sense be it the core or the moon's life force they were treated as one entity, not that it was wrong but still incorrect.

  "So runes really can't get us to the core or bring it to us."

  Aleus shook his head, he had already sent messages but there was no hope of receiving any worthwhile strategy from those currently fighting not when they had failed to make one before coming all this way.

  "I don't think there's a rune that can help with this, now what? Not like we can destroy the moon. I could also try with the dream rune but that would be like putting the cart before the horse."

  He suggested thinking that with it used on himself or anyone, their bodies would be illusory thus they could phase through objects and could very well reach the core this way. But while in this state they could not be affected nor could they affect others.

  "So be it, time is not our side so the we'll have to go with what we can right now. The moon has go."

  Hiro announced while standing up and stared at B One.

  (Tell me, what'll happen when I use sacrifice?)

  "As you already know you've been removed from the cycle of reincarnation but after using it you'll still die. However it will be closer to fainting, after a while you'll come back to life"

  Hiro gripped his sword tighter then continued to ask.

  (For how long?)

  "A maximum of five minutes."

  Hearing that Hiro smiled bitterly, in a truly desperate life and death battle these five minutes would secure his defeat no doubt.

  "I'm not much of a magic expert but I have an idea. Aleus can you watch over my body for a bit."

  "Sure but what's going on?"

  Hiro did not have time to explain, even he did not know what would happen exactly after using sacrifice, it was no less than magic that used his life as cost to achieve his desires but this didn't make it bend logic entirely.

  "As I said, the moon has to go, only I'll have to die."

  He said taking a stance thinking of what he wanted.

  (Getting to core without causing collateral damage, and accounting for my five minute death. I've got it, delayed slash.)

  He swung his sword cutting air. A grey light cresent slash was formed but unlike ranged slashes or space slashes it remained suspended in mid air just where he slashed.

  "I still don't get it, die from wha..."

  Thud.

  Hiro fell on his knees and remained in this position thanks to Epsilon balancing him.

  "Oh... he's dead."

  Aleus exclaimed, dazed and confused before he moved to examine Hiro's body to make sure, his body was turning cold, while life force had vanished within him, something uncommon in death. It usually took time before it all left the body which was why people with a large pool of life force had a high chance of being zombies after death. As for his soul, Aleus had no way to find out, his mystic eyes of perception were only limited to the world and didn't extend to the soul corridor.

  "Definitely dead how's this... Sigh, let's just do as he said."

  Saying as such he temporarily undid the rune of Dreams on himself then used another rune causing vines to grow and bind Hiro's body to the battle ship. Afterwards he joined the other rune master to fighting alongside the royal battle ship.

  "Prince Aleus, are you sure about this?"

  The rune master asked his eyes flashing with concern and uncertainty.

  "Do, you suggest I remain on the ship and do nothing but watch when I can help."

  The rune master relented and accepted the aid.

  Roar!

  The clone body fighting against them stood on two legs as he clawed or rather swatted at the royal battle ship, maneuvering above it at high altitudes while raining down bombardment after bombardment.

  In the next moment it began spewing lava bullets to have greater range of attack. Aleus who was jumping in between rune platforms looked at this as his expression became solemn. If they hit the royal battle ship then it would shake violently even if the attack did not get through the rune barrier. Normally he wouldn't worry about this but presently there was the defenseless Hiro on board, there was no telling what would happen during such a time, an object may be flung and him causing the vines to be damaged and loosen. Even if the rune experts on board wouldn't just ignore him, Aleus could not take the chance.

  (I have to block those attacks.)

  He thought before throwing several rune tablets, they were all dream runes. While traveling to their respective target lava bullet each rune turned into a chunk of ice, half the size of the lava bullets but still larger than a carriage.

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  The lava bullets and chunks of ice collided and caused shattering explosions as vapor formed and quickly dissipated. The fragments of the lava bullets also turned into solid rocks and shot out in every direction, but if these found their way to the royal battle ship it wouldn't be something to be concerned over.

  (What? I thought runes of ice were also weakened here.)

  Thought the rune master fighting alongside Aleus, so shocked he was flustered. But he was still vigilant and even saw an opportunity using the vapor as cover to finally strike the head with a life expulsion rune.