"The prince of Akarn is using fire..."

  Thought Jura's squad mate in disbelief, they were on the moon without setting up a barrier the conditions would weaken such things at best. And time to set up a barrier to have a favourable environment to use more of the runes they possessed was a luxury they didn't have, which was why no one had brought any of these kinds in the first place.

  (Fire is hotter than magma and with it we would have an easier time combating this mountain of a being.)

  He thought regretfully, so far they had been using lava and heat runes to melt through the fragment's clone bodies, to assist their powerful strikes and easily pulverizing an arm or two. But fire could be used in long range attacks precisely and with greater power. While a heat rune though hotter than the two had the least amount of control, more so when used as rune tablets, the best way to use them was with a limited range a little more than direct contact with the user.

  "If he can why can't we."

  He thought before proceeding to draw a fire rune in between attacks and defending. Eventually a single crude fire rune was completed and was used to power an arrow. He came to a halt aiming for its head, even as it was protected by several layers of earth walls he was confident of his attack making it through the gaps and striking the head.

  "Whew."

  He released the arrow, it sped up turning red while a flame appeared and covered it whole forming a flame arrow. But halfway to its target the flames thinned and y the time it reached the head they were almost extinguished. The flame arrow had navigated through the earth walls but all it managed to do was slightly scorch and dent the head. It was not much damage but it drew the clone body's attention away from Jura to him.

  (How did he accomplish it, a barrier around the arrow? That is an element that hasn't had a breakthrough ever since its introduction, could he have succeeded. Truly a genius, in rune craft.)

  He thought in admiration, giving up on the idea that he could do the same on this battlefield. Especially now after his display of unparalleled aiming caused him to become target number one to the clone body. Before thinking to attack he urgently needed to evade the unceasing attacks coming his way, luckily someone came to elevate the burden.

  "Was that worth drawing its attention?"

  Questioned the second squad mate while providing support.

  "If its eyes are on me is it not giving sir Jura more room to breathe and attack."

  "Fair point, I'll assist."

  Though his wishes were not fulfilled, he did not despair from the situation and immediately took advantage of the changes.

  Jura also saw this and grinned widely while thinking.

  (Putting yourself at risk, if I hold back now then am a warrior, a man.)

  His fighting spirit was stirred and was rising rapidly, his eyes flashing with excitement. He began to ascend leaving behind a rune platform that was smashed by an earth spike shooting straight to the sky. He had no time to look around and judge his surroundings accurately, spikes kept erupting from the ground and if one was not constantly on the move they would be hit. Not that they could even remain on one spot for long considering the limitations of the fixation rune.

  (Below spikes can shoot out from anywhere on the ground while above there's only one source of attacks, not to mention target.)

  He looked up, a torrent of lava was shot out but it wasn't aimed at him while what was, lava bullets were a few feet away. Contact would be made soon no doubt. He brought his battle axe upward and as it rose he activated a set of runes. The battle axe radiated with a gold light before an icy blue misty aura covered its blade. By the time his preparations were done the first lava bullet had arrived.

  Chop.

  He slashed with an upward vertical chop, bisecting it in half, but that was just the start. The two halves of the lava bullet turned into solid rock in the next moment, covered by a thin layer of ice, it wasn't an ice rune but a cold rune responsible for this.

  "One more swing."

  He said turning the battle axe on its flat side and hit the solidified lava, smashing it on contact generating numerous fragments. The shards were sent flying up, hitting more of the lava bullets, combined with an earth rune he did not miss a single lava bullet with the frosted earth shards.

  Each time a frosted earth shard hit a lava bullet, the latter would be influenced by the cold and transition into a solid state in an instant. As these former lava bullets now earth bullets continuing to descend, Jura would bat them away or deflect right back at the clone body.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Jura looked to his side at declined angle, he could see his two squad mates resisting. There was no telling how long they would last or whether the clone body would continue to focus its attacks on them.

  (It's still far but if I jump from here I'll make it.)

  He thought before jumping high into the air. The clone body was on four legs and gravity wasn't a thing at present thus he easily reached just below the head in mere moments. He braced himself bringing his battle axe forward, swinging with all his might.

  Thud.

  He struck and embedded his on its chin. The moment he did the rock body began to shift turning into lava. The lodged battle axe and Jura began to slip, coming off and would fall soon.

  "So fast to react."

  He exclaimed releasing one hand to withdraw a rune tablet. He threw it while using a fixation rune on it causing it to be fixed in place making it possible for him to use as a foothold to bounce himself even higher. After jumping off, the rune of fixation ran out of time and the rune tablet continued on its path. It was a waste of a rune but it could not be helped, he could feel gravity on himself start acting up pulling him down, as such there wasn't much time to draw a rune, even a crude one.

  "If only there was better alternative for getting up here so fast."

  Even though he had reached this height sooner that he could have with just rune platforms, it came at the cost of making the fragment aware of his arrival and would be alerted.

  Just as he had expected its massive eyes began moving scanning around its head and soon spotted him slightly above it and falling. But he did not care, he actually preferred a direct confrontation.

  "Melt slash!"

  He roared while he swung his battle axe and melted right through the earth walls protecting the head. The molten rocks flowed down and covered the eyes but it too was adapt at using lava and earth. It turned it back to rock becoming part of the eye and could see once more.

  But in the process Jura had landed on the head with a life expulsion rune, already prepared.

  Bang, he struck right on its forehead immediately engraving the rune. The clone body had no way to resist, life force left its body and it became inanimate. Jura was about to cheer when he saw the ground begin to tremor.

  He did not hesitate and dived straight down while using a rune to form a thread.

  (I won't make it time, fortunately they've noticed.)

  He thought as he watched the ground rupture and another clone body emerged, it wasn't a newly created one but simply another with a severed life force vein. It had been traveling underground to provide support to this body but at the cost of being stealthly it arrived late.

  "Catch!"

  He yelled before throwing one end of the thread towards them and another towards the now inanimate clone body. He traveled with the latter arriving at its shoulder from here he pulled with all his might. They were hoisted to his side along with the thread with great speed but not fast enough to escape the emerging clone body.

  With a hand that had gotten free it grabbed at the thread and pulled.

  Tug.

  Jura felt the difference in strength with this simple gesture. He grunted as he held on persistently so they have a chance of using the rune of fixation and make a platform to escape on to. When the first finished relief washed over him, but this slight relaxation was enough to turn the tables. He was pulled down so fast even after he let go he was still quickly approaching the ground, but there was an even greater threat than fall damage, the massive dragon arm that wasn't even flesh but earth.

  Bam!

  He slammed onto the ground and felt his body protest in pain. Some dust rose up and covered him from sight but he knew this wasn't enough to hide from it, he had to get off the ground. "Dammed body of mine."

  He tried to get up but fell on his side, coughing as he spat blood. The hand that pulled him down was fast approaching, he knew he had to evade this attack, there was no way his body could handle it in its current state. But as much as he wanted to move fast his body did not allow. Eventually he forcefully got up with the help of his battle axe.

  But by the time he was free from impact's shock Jura could not evade in time. The dragon hand came crashing down on him. He activated more runes on the battle axe causing it to grow and become taller and thicker than the average tree.

  As he stared at his battle axe holding the hand in place his expression became grim, it would hold on for some time but not long enough to escape from under its massive palm, but he still ran to the through the shortest escape route.

  Crack!

  The sound echoed and not a moment later the battle axe shattered into countless pieces. Jura stopped in his tracks, bracing himself with both arms raised above his head.

  (My axe may have shattered but it lessened the blow.)

  He thought having succeeded in stopping the palms descent but still pushed into the ground. He had yet to give up, his eyes flashing with a sharp light.

  "An ant contesting my strength, how laughable."

  The clone body said before increasing the gravity by tens higher than what was felt previously, combined with it pushing down Jura reached his limit. He spat another mouthful of blood then grit his teeth while being pushed down. Veins were popping all over his arms while he seemed to inflate becoming even more muscular than he already was, but despite him resisting with unrelenting perseverance he was slowly being crushed. Soon his head and back were also against the palm, used to resist while he had been brought down to one knee.

  But he was not alone in this battle, his squad mates were also attacking the clone body making his rescue a priority. At this moment seeing their efforts and this adversary his battle spirit surged once more and his will responded.

  As a hardcore warrior he was someone who followed his instincts without question, and at this time he felt them whisper to him. He listened, runes engraved on his body began to get erased as he lost strength and was almost entirely crushed before new runes were self engraving themselves on his body, all heat runes.

  They were activated in that instance and in the next moment a red orange yellow radiance spread from them moving to cover his entire body. In less than a blink of time he was already covered whole. And with this change came an unparalleled melting force, melting through the dragon hand and ground, better than a hot knife through butter. As the hand melted he regained his mobility and stood up straight. The clone body was aware something was wrong as it drew back its arm causing the molten parts of the hand to drip down around Jura. As it kept on rising Jura was revealed standing in a daze, slowly sinking into the ground as he continued to melt it.

  "Quick let's rescue sir Jura, he looks unconscious it's best we retreat while we still can. I just hope the other squads still have healing runes to spare."

  The first said while the second nodded as they rushed in and used threads reinforced with other runes so the do not melt while pulling him out.