When skyrmions are put on the crystal to simulate dense baryonic matter, so far the only approach known to access QCD at high density, there takes place a process in which the skyrmions split into half-skyrmions at a density greater than that of normal nuclear matter. This topology change can have a drastic effect on the equation of state of compressed baryonic matter present in the interior of heavy compact stars. For this process, the hidden gauge fields and dilatons are found to play a crucial role.