The instant he disappeared into the vortex with the rock, the remaining three participants in the area also dashed towards it.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

​​

They slammed into it, and for some unknown reason, they were unable to phase through.

It was as if there was a barrier preventing them from going through.

They were now trapped within the dead-end and the entrance that led to it.

On the other side of the Vortex, E.E and Falco stood side by side in between the intersection that led to the back and the dead-end area.

E.E's left hand was pointed towards the large vortex covering up the entrance.

A group of mixedblood participants that were up ahead suddenly started running towards the end of the passageway.

"He should have taken him in by now," E.E said while pulling his left arm backward.

The large vortex suddenly started moving away from the entrance.

E.E and Falco moved backward, towards the path that led to the right on the intersection.

The participants in the area were still running towards them with full force and intensity.

The ones inside the dead-end area also came out.

E.E moved his left arm towards the front, and the vortex was placed in front of himself and Falco.

Zwwooooo!

The massive vortex was divided into smaller parts and numbered around twelve in total.

Each mini vortex was the size of a full-grown person.

"Remember, we have to contain them until he is done, no killing allowed, but you can knock them out. We cannot allow them to go through this way," E.E reminded Falco before dashing forward and sending out his vortexes.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

His vortex would consume the participants before they were able to attack and teleport them to another location.

"Hmph! No killing? Weaklings without the strength to protect their minds all deserve to die," Falco's alter ego voiced out.

"No killing," Falco's normal self took control and reminded.

"Hmph, alright," Falco's Alter ego had to compromise since he didn't want control to be taken from him.

Swooooshhh!

He also dashed forward to assist E.E.

Pah!

Each of his punches would knock out a participant regardless of their size, strength, or whatever form they had taken.

Once he knocked out a participant, he would fling their unconscious body towards E.E, who would throw out a vortex that would consume that participant and send them to another location.

The participants within the passageway continued to increase in number as time passed. It would seem like they were aware that the rock had been taken.

They all looked crazed as they struggled to get to the route that E.E and Falco were preventing them from going to.

------------

Gustav and the rock being passed through the vortex appeared above the large hole that Gustav had spent the night in.

Gustav was still holding onto the rock being as they started falling into the large hole.

"Release!" Gustav shouted out as he kicked the rock, pushing his body away from it.

Booommm!

A loud explosion rocked their surroundings as they fell, and a cloud of blue energy was created around them.

Bang!

Gustav was affected by the shockwaves causing his body to slam into the other side of the hole as they fell.

His body created long cracks along the walls of the hole as he rolled down it.

Gustav balanced himself after a few seconds of rolling down the wall and pushed himself outwards again.

"GUSTAV! HAHA, YOU HAVE BROUGHT YOURSELF TO ME!"

"YOU HAVE BROUGHT YOURSELF TO YOUR DOOM!"

He heard a loud voice in his mind as blinding gold light dazzled from within the blue cloud of energy surrounding them.

Swooooshhh!

The rock bolted downwards from the range of the cloud of blue energy.

The glowing runic patterns on its body glowed even more as it approached Gustav.

'It's unaffected,' Gustav was surprised to see that there was not a single scratch on the body of the rock after the explosion.

Bang!

The rock was about to slam into his body when Gustav reached out his right arm.

[Size Manipulation Has Been Activated]

Grrrkouunnnn!

Gustav's right arm extended and grabbed onto the small tree branch on the side of the wall.

Swooooshhh!

Using it to pull himself backward, he dodged the rock's lunge.

"So what if you're unaffected? I'll just keep pummelling you till you're smashed to pieces," Gustav voiced out before placing his legs on the wall and pushing his entire body forward with intensity.

Boom!

As his figure dashed across the air, towards the rock within the dark hole, pieces of rocks were blasted apart from the intensity of his jump.

"NO, YOU SHALL BECOME MY SACRIFICE TODAY!" The rock also voiced out as it sent out waves from its body.

Gustav broke through the waves with his intense body speed and threw out an enlarged fist towards the body of the rock.

Bam!

Gustav's fist slammed into the body of the rock, sending it hurling backward as it fell deeper into the dark hole.

Swwisshusshushhus!

The rock rotated rapidly as it descended.

'What? Did this kid become more powerful since the last time I saw him?' The rock wondered after seeing Gustav break through the waves he sent out and land a hit on its body.

It wasn't damaged by Gustav's intense punch. However, he could feel that there was a difference in strength between now and the last time.

Gustav didn't waste time before extending his arm and pulling himself to the left side of the hole wall.

He instantly jumped out the moment his legs made contact with the wall.

Gustav's body travelled across the air in a diagonal format towards the right side of the hole.

Thooom!

Zwwinng! Zwwinng! Zwwinng! Zwwiinng!

He started leaping from side to side in a zig-zag format as they descended, trying to catch up to the rapidly spinning rock.

Swoon!

Gustav jumped out again after descending to a particular depth and threw out his leg; his body travelled towards the rock with speed.

"DID YOU THINK I WOULD BE LEFT DEFENSELESS JUST BECAUSE I CANNOT ACCESS MY PUPPETS?"

The rock voiced out as it suddenly stopped spinning and stared at the approaching Gustav.