White magic power surged from Larcade's body, his gaze narrowed, and the white tentacles suddenly doubled in size, causing everyone's happiness index to double again.
Runa and Juvia, the two girls, screamed loudly, stimulated by intense desire, and their faces turned completely red from embarrassment at their own cries.
And when happiness reaches its peak, it will draw out the opponent's soul.
This is the terrifying purpose of this magic.
Obviously, the few people lying on the ground had reached their limit, and were just about to break through that critical point.
Their souls would also be drawn out by the opponent.
Even Gray stopped struggling, the frost on his body slowly disappearing, as if being pulled away by the white tentacles.
Seeing this scene, Larcade's face showed a triumphant smile.
However, only a moment passed.
Gray's body suddenly shook.
"Stop being so smug, you bastard!!!" A roar suddenly erupted from Gray's mouth.
Immediately after, a large number of tentacles instantly turned into ice.
"What!!" Larcade's eyes widened, and he exclaimed in surprise.
Then, Gray suddenly opened his eyes, and with a forceful tug, the tentacles immediately turned into ice crystals, scattering and floating in the air.
Gray clasped his hands together, and ice magic power surged out again, his hair also being forcefully lifted by this powerful magic power, like a wild lion.
His eyes revealed determination and resolve.
"ICEMAKE—Silver World!" With a roar, Gray slammed his hands on the ground, and all areas within the light barrier were instantly covered by an icy surface.
Frost also spread across the light barrier.
This icy surface exuded a bone-chilling cold, absolute zero ice, like a fierce beast, directly pouncing towards Larcade.
The few people lying on the ground also instantly shivered from the freezing cold, suddenly opening their eyes, finally waking up from that icy state, feeling a strong chill surging from within their bodies.
At this moment, Larcade agilely jumped, easily avoiding the attack of the icy surface.
"This attack seems to be comparable to Invel, the Winter General!" Larcade's mouth slightly curved upward, but he revealed a disdainful smile.
Then, with a wave of his hand, a dazzling blade of light shot out from his hand, striking towards Gray like lightning.
Just then, Jellal instantly moved to Gray's side, his figure like a ghost, swift and precise, he waved his hand without hesitation, deflecting the blade of light shot by Larcade.
However, despite successfully blocking the attack, Jellal was panting heavily, his face showing signs of fatigue. The previous state had consumed a large amount of his stamina,
he needed some time to recover.
"Thanks, Gray, leave the rest to me!" Jellal's voice carried a hint of determination, his gaze fixed on Larcade. He truly hadn't expected such magic to exist, capable of manipulating people's desires.
Facing Twelve Shields, defeating him was also his responsibility as one of the original Ten Wizard Saints.
As for Runa and Juvia, the two girls, their stamina consumption was even greater; although they had regained consciousness, they still needed some time to recover their physical strength.
"Don't get it wrong, I'm not one of Twelve Shields, I, Eileen, and August are special existences!!" Larcade clasped his hands together, still smiling. But his confident expression told everyone that his strength was extraordinary.
Larcade suddenly brought his two fingers together and extended them, drawing a forceful line in the air.
"Soul of Gluttony!!" A mysterious and powerful purple magic power of desire, like a surging torrent, directly enveloped Jellal and Gray.
In an instant, an uncontrollable hunger surged through their hearts like a tide, as if it wanted to devour them.
Having already consumed a large amount of stamina and desperately needing food to replenish their energy, they now felt even weaker and powerless.
Under the impact of this intense hunger, their gazes involuntarily turned towards Runa and Juvia, who were standing nearby.
At this moment, the figures of the two girls underwent a strange transformation in their eyes—they actually turned into delicious large bone sticks and large chicken drumsticks!
The tempting aroma wafted towards them, making their mouths water.
Both couldn't help but swallow, their hearts filled with a craving for food.
"Gray-sama... what's wrong with you? Juvia... I... I can't right now..." Juvia looked at Gray's hungry expression, her face instantly turning crimson, and that embarrassing scene from earlier reappeared in her mind.
Her heart pounded, as if it would leap out of her throat.
But then she was annoyed that she couldn't make delicious food right now.
"The human world is full of desires, isn't the battle that's starting now the breeding ground for evil thoughts in people's hearts!" Larcade suddenly became emotional about this war, as if he knew all the desires in people's hearts.
But for his father, Zeref, he was willing to do anything.
Seeing that Gray remained unconscious, Juvia gritted her teeth and made a decision.
"Gray-sama, please forgive me!!!" Juvia shouted directly, and her remaining magic power turned into a stream of water, splashing heavily on Gray's face.
Gray instantly woke up, clutching his stomach, forcing himself to endure the hunger, and seeing the unconscious Jellal, he punched Jellal in the abdomen.
He used the pain to awaken Jellal's rationality.
But at this moment,
Whoosh whoosh~ sounds of air breaking came.
Bang~ bang~ Gray and Jellal were instantly sent flying by a high-speed rotating cross.
Looking at the two who were staggering to their feet, Larcade frowned slightly, but quickly composed himself.
His lips curled into a sarcastic smile:
"Oh? You can withstand the erosion of two desires? You really have some skill!" His words, however, revealed disdain and indifference.
Then, Larcade's eyes sharpened, and his voice became cold and ruthless: "Too bad, humans are creatures with three desires. And the last desire is the desire for sleep!"
Larcade waved his hands, and white magic power surged out like a vortex, its powerful force making people feel suffocated.
He spoke with a contemptuous tone: "But unfortunately, this is the last desire, which means you will fall into eternal slumber!"
He was actually somewhat dissatisfied with letting these people live until now.
But he didn't show it, instead continuing to enjoy the impending victory and sense of control.
"No one can resist the final desire!" "Eternal deathly slumber, death's repose!" With a roar from Larcade, magic power surged from his body, and white aura frantically gushed out across the entire icy ground.
Even Gray, Jellal, and the nearby Juvia and Runa were instantly affected by this powerful magic power, falling into an uncontrollable drowsiness, their eyelids beginning to droop involuntarily.
"Jellal, Runa, Juvia, don't sleep!!!" Gray realized the situation was critical, and immediately surged out the cold air within him again, trying to use the cold sensation to dispel everyone's drowsiness.
However, this method did not have much effect, because they had all been affected by Larcade's magic and could not easily get rid of their drowsiness.
"It's useless, humans cannot resist desires, don't you feel very sleepy too!" Larcade laughed triumphantly, knowing that his magic had successfully eroded everyone's consciousness.
"Sleep~ everything will be beautiful in your dreams!" He whispered like a demon, and the continuous drowsiness continued to invade everyone's brains.
Despite Gray's best efforts to resist, the drowsiness was too strong, and even he gradually felt powerless.
The cold aura also seemed unable to resist this bone-deep drowsiness, making everyone's eyelids heavier and heavier, as if they could close at any moment.
"Damn it~ How can I succumb... my inner desires..."
"I must... defeat you... defeat the enemy! This is my conviction... conviction..." In a daze, Gray saw Juvia and the others about to close their eyes, and his heart tightened.
He knew that if they closed their eyes, they would truly never wake up.
How could this be? How could he watch his companions perish before him? He already had one painful, unforgettable memory; how could it be replayed before him?
His arduous training, his accumulation of strength, wasn't it all to be able to stand in front of his companions and defeat all enemies?
He held a desperate belief for this goal.
As the conviction in his heart grew stronger, the power that had long been planted within him was instantly activated, gradually spreading from his feet.
A black substance gradually enveloped half of his body.
Gray directly raised a hand, and Jellal, Runa, and Juvia were instantly frozen into ice crystals.
Just then, a powerful magic power erupted from Gray, his eyes becoming firm and sharp.
He whispered, "I won't let you succeed, I will protect them."
"The power to freeze everything... how can this be..." Larcade sensed that the power within the ice, it seemed the person in front of him could actually turn conviction into power.
No... it was... the conviction to protect his companions that resonated with him.
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