Nobita's Time Heist

"If such a thing existed, the world would be something else entirely by now."

King Hundred Eyes strolled slowly out from the ruins, cracks, and dust, calmly stopping about five meters away from the race car. In the distance, the suppressive fire from the hilltop continued, but he made no move to intervene, as if it were nothing more than a handful of firecrackers thrown into a plaza by a mischievous child. Even if they went off wildly, it was just pointless nonsense.

On the other hand, Da Xiong, who had been hit, felt as if a piece of his chest had been ripped out. His expression was one of shock, and he couldn't believe what he was seeing at first. There was no pain in his body, but the discomfort of missing a part of himself was indescribable. Then, he gasped and slumped weakly into his chair, as if his flesh and soul had been separated at that moment.

"Nobita? Nobita, hey! Nobita—!!"

Gian was terrified and shook Nobita's shoulders vigorously, calling his name until he finally regained a little consciousness. Dekisugi quickly pulled out a spare "Time Wrap" from his pocket—knowing the characteristics of the Eye-to-Eye Killing Technique, Nobita had a premonition that his team members might be affected by the same spell during the fight, so he had mass-produced the only item that could counteract it. Sure enough, it came in handy here.

Hyakume-o didn't stop them. Instead, he watched with great interest as Dekisugi tied the cloth around Daio's neck and laughed, "So that's how it is. The Oni King of Mount Ooe, whom I was supposed to kill, escaped with this magic weapon."

"But it can only postpone death indefinitely in terms of 'time,' but it cannot prevent the death of the 'soul' and the 'body,' right?"

"This guy... he saw through the principle of the time-bundle with just one glance..." Da Xiong bit his lip, relying on the breath he was holding in his chest to force his brain to work, "Although I had considered this situation, it's even worse than I imagined."

"Bastard!"

Fat Tiger clenched his fists, ready to leap out and fight, but then a seatbelt popped out, locking him firmly in his seat with a menacing metallic whistle. In just a few seconds, he had assessed the difference in strength between himself and his opponent; he knew that victory couldn't be achieved through mere "momentum."

So, how do we get out of this situation?

Faced with such a formidable and unpredictable opponent, even a mere second spent pulling out a prop could result in an attack.

"Speaking of which, I also have a question I'd like to ask you." Having seized the initiative, Hundred-Eyed King wasn't in a hurry. He slowly waded over, his gaze seemingly focused on Nobita, and said with a half-smile, "Your full name should be 'Nobita Nobi,' right?"

Da Xiong paused for a moment, unsure of the meaning behind this question at this time.

Even though he didn't give a clear answer, the Hundred-Eyed King had already gotten the answer from his eyes and heartbeat, and showed an expression of "I knew it".

"Occasionally, people with this surname will appear. In the deep space beyond the reach of mortals, those who possess this name are, without exception, extremely dangerous and powerful figures. Their origins and powers are all different, and so far, there is no indication of any overlap or connection between them."

He raised a finger and pointed towards the sky, his tone slightly sarcastic. "Seeing you made me realize it's just a coincidence. It's like in your tiny island nation, if you throw a brick, you'll hit ten people with the surname Sato. The fact that a weak individual like you can be called 'Nobi' is enough to show that this surname has no magic; it's just a similarity in pronunciation."

"So, this is really goodbye..."

The sharp, black fingernails slowly descended, aiming at Nobita's brow. A jet of black current swirled and condensed, forming a black hole-like point at the tip of his finger.

"Nobi Nobita."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The loss of his heart inevitably slowed Nobita's thinking. He hadn't even finished processing the information from the previous sentence when the situation suddenly took a sharp turn for the worse, making him hesitate. For the first time in his life, he had the thought of taking his opponent down with him after all other options had failed.

This journey to the demon realm couldn't even be called an "adventure," but rather a military operation that placed immense pressure on everyone. He no longer dared to hope that everyone could reap the same wonderful and memorable experiences as they had during their thrilling adventures in elementary school; he only wished that everyone could return home safely.

He had already gripped the frame of the Double Reflection Mirror. Nobita remained motionless, coldly observing his opponent's movements, holding his breath and focusing all his remaining attention on his opponent's actions. Before unleashing a kill with his eyes, his body would instinctively lean forward slightly—that was the opportunity he had to seize.

Moment.

In just a moment, I could drag him down to hell with me!

……

"Nobi-kun!" Dekisugi suddenly stood up, grabbed his shoulder, and said in a deep voice, "Don't do anything stupid. Only you can rebuild the team's morale and organize an effective counterattack! On a battlefield like this, morale is everything. If you die here, it's all over!"

"Xiaoshan..."

"Don't worry, Nobita-kun." When he turned around, the smile that met Nobita's weak eyes, which were almost closed, was still as gentle as a spring breeze.

"I will wait for you until then."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Hundred-Eyed King—!!"

Leaving a gentle smile for Nobita, Dekisugi turned around, his expression as cold as winter, and raised the vase-shaped Demon God Chessboard high, proclaiming loudly, "My name is Dekisugi Hideaki, and I am one of the many beings on this tiny planet that you look down upon."

"Hereinafter, I issue a challenge to you!"

……

The moment the words left his mouth, the whole world seemed to freeze. The drifting clouds in the sky, the distant gunfire, and the trembling earth all seemed to fall silent in an instant, giving the center stage to the young man who had uttered such bold words.

"You...human..." King Hundred Eyes found it unbelievable. To him, this scene was no less ridiculous than a monkey suddenly jumping out and challenging him to a duel. "This isn't a game for inferior races like you. Do you really know what you're saying?"

"boom----!!!"

Before the words were even finished, the crimson stripes on the vase seemed to have absorbed some kind of nourishment, instantly bursting forth with a bewitching and beautiful light. Countless fleshy hands suddenly stretched out from the mouth of the vase, densely packed, like a blooming flower. These arms were no different from human arms, but they had far more than one joint. When they stretched out at the same time, the shadows they cast were enough to cover a large area of ​​the earth.

A strange sweetness wafted over, giving him a refreshing and comfortable feeling. Dekisugi cautiously bit his tongue, forcibly breaking free from his body's dependence on the sweetness.

In each hand, a chess piece was held.

A series of clicking and transforming sounds came from the bottom of the bottle, revealing a giant chessboard. These long, thin, and eerie arms rapidly dropped the chess pieces. The unblemished black and white pieces quickly covered the entire chessboard.

Chapter 297: Extermination is the Highest Respect

“I see, human… In other words, this is a fair challenge. If I accept, I must sit down and play chess with you immediately, and I can no longer attack your companions.” King Hyakume watched the race car carrying Gian and Nobita speed away, leaving them far behind, and couldn’t help but laugh. “Those two didn’t hesitate at all, just leaving you behind like that.”

"This is precisely where our understanding lies; someone like you would never understand."

Dekisugi straightened his collar, a habitual action he performed before engaging in intense mental work, much like an athlete relaxing their muscles before a short burst of speed.

The farewells between men are always so quiet and unassuming. With just a glance, Nobita understood the resolve Dekisugi had shown. Although they hadn't known each other for as long as his other three companions, Nobita still had complete trust in Dekisugi's abilities. Therefore, unlike characters in soap operas, he didn't hesitate to leave his comrade who had volunteered to stay behind. Instead, he left him plenty of canned compressed energy liquid food and a resolute promise.

"I will definitely come back to pick you up before dawn!" Da Xiong wiped the cold sweat that kept seeping from his forehead and made a high-profile declaration that he would break the technique of killing with eyes within 10 hours.

"Is that so?" Dekisugi's expression was equally calm, as if what he said was not difficult at all, just a guarantee like "solving this equation before dawn." He smiled softly and said, "Then I will wait for good news."

King Hundred Eyes watched them make promises to each other with great interest, his eyes slightly narrowed, then he watched Nobita and the others ride away on the American dollar. This time, he refrained from launching a sneak attack, displaying great martial virtue by standing with his hands behind his back, finding everything before him quite amusing. His dark blue eyebrows arched slightly, as if he were eager to try something new, like a child who had found a brand new toy.

"You humans are really interesting. You can say things you can't do without batting an eye." He picked up a black piece in front of him, stroking its rough surface, and couldn't help but smile. "He can't break my spell, and you can't beat me in the Demon God Chess. From the moment you issued the challenge, you were already a dead man. What you're doing now is the most foolish delaying tactic, nothing more."

"Is that so?" Dekisugi sat cross-legged in a meditative posture, his gaze slowly sweeping across the chessboard, roughly surveying the distribution of the pieces. "In your eyes, I am already a dead man, so what threat am I to you?"

"Or do you feel humiliated to play chess with a 'lower' race?"

"Save your pointless provocations. Demon God Chess is no ordinary game. Once it begins, both sides' souls are staked." King Hundred Eyes sat down on the ground and said coldly, "Do you understand now? If you lose, everything you've lived so far will belong to me. Your soul looks a bit clearer, so it must taste better than most people's."

He licked his lips, seemingly trying to use the "man-eating demon" tactic to put some psychological pressure on the other party. But when he noticed that Izumi was looking at him like he was some village idiot, he realized he was making a fool of himself and snorted coldly, "Stop sitting there like an idiot, hurry up and set the stakes."

Dekisugi didn't understand what this meant, but he was always the type of person who would think before asking questions, so he simply nodded quietly without giving any other indication.

Without submitting bets, it seems the game can't even begin.

"crunch..."

Two more flesh-colored long hands emerged from the vase, one on each side, their fingers spread wide. Hundred-Eyed King had already opened his palm and grasped them. Seeing this, Dekisugi had no choice but to follow suit, gently placing his palm on the obviously inhuman, strange hand.

"Woo!"

A flesh-colored tentacle pierced the middle finger, drawing a drop of blood from the fingertip.

Even though it was only a single drop, it was enough to turn the long arm a bright color, as if it had been infused with some inexhaustible energy. This light continued to the center of the bottle, and then the chessboard at the bottom of the bottle began to rotate, adding the fairest weight to the outcome of the battle and simultaneously injecting it into the consciousness of both of them.

"Heh... As expected, for a complete novice who has never been exposed to the Demon God Chess before, these conditions are the limit."

Dekisugi also received the conditions at the same time, and just to be on the safe side, he confirmed them one more time: "If I can hold out against you for 10 hours without being defeated, I win. Conversely, if you completely defeat me within 10 hours, you win."

"If you can last for ten hours, I will tell you about my fatal weakness."

When he said this, Hyakume-o's expression remained relaxed and smiling. Clearly, he didn't think Dekisugi could achieve this victory condition at all.

"If you lose, as agreed, I will take your soul."

"I rack my brains to fight you on the chessboard, and if I win, I only get one piece of information. But if I lose, I lose my life to you." Dekisugi looked at him with a half-smile. "Isn't that a bit unfair?"

"The contract established by the Demon God Chess is the result of maximizing the interests of both players." On this point, King Hundred Eyes is clearly a staunch believer in the Mediator and will not allow anyone to question His invention. "A life that is insignificant on a tiny planet has only this much value. You also helped your companions buy time. No matter how you look at it, it's not a loss."

"..."

Having reached this point, it seemed there was no other way to proceed. Izumi steadied himself, picked up the edge of a Go piece, and asked, "How do we decide which side to choose?"

"Heh. To follow the rules with a beginner would be to underestimate me." King Hundred Eyes waved his hand. "You play white. As is customary for beginners, I'll play a game with you first, and during that time, I'll teach you the rules of Demon God Chess..."

"No need, I'm in a hurry." Dekisugi was already completely focused, ignoring all external sounds. He simply picked up a white piece, gently tapped the edge of the board, and said in a deep voice, "Just tell me, I'm listening."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"What did you say?! Nobita was..." Shizuka's face turned deathly pale, and coupled with the teapot-shaped tanuki she was holding, it created an inexplicably comical contrast. "How could this happen? He was still..."

The fortress that Suneo had built had become a safe haven for everyone, a place where they could catch their breath for a while. Under the suppression of overwhelming firepower, the monsters dared not approach, but everyone's mood did not improve at all. Looking at Nobita lying on the bed, with a persistent high fever and a face as pale as paper, Shizuka was extremely anxious but did not know what to do.

"His temperature was normal when I left, but it deteriorated quickly. He suddenly developed a high fever, and the medicine in the first-aid kit wasn't working." It was rare to see Gian so self-reproachful; he seemed to blame himself for Nobita's suffering, and his voice was no longer as strong. "Logically... it shouldn't be like this. There were still four days left, how could it have worsened so quickly..."

……

“It’s been less than four days. He went very far.” Rin pressed one hand to Nobita’s forehead and delivered a professional’s verdict in an extremely solemn tone. “It was the kind of method that makes you want to get rid of him as soon as possible… He must have seen something very threatening in Nobita.”

Chapter 298: I Will Never Let Go of Your Hand

In the world of monsters, annihilation is the highest form of respect for another individual.

"He seemed to say... Nobita's surname is special. In that guy's mind, 'Nobi' is a particularly high-class surname, the same as many important people." Gian tried his best to express what Dokuro had just said in a way he could understand. "If there was any motive, it was probably this."

"Nobi?" Suneo frowned. "Looking at it this way, apart from Shizuka, none of our surnames are common in Japan. Is there any connection between them?"

"None of that matters now!" Shizuka's voice trembled with anxiety. She half-squatted down and tried to grasp Nobita's hand, but all she felt was a deathly coldness—it was as if, in that brief moment, Nobita had become an old man on his deathbed, his life force visibly draining from his body. "What can we do? Is there any way to save him?! Do we have to defeat Hundred-Eyed King?"

Sensing the urgency in her tone, Lingyin was reluctant to nod in agreement. She knew very well that if she nodded, this girl would probably be ready to fight the Hundred-Eyed King to the death the next second, which was definitely not a good choice given the current situation.

But then I thought, there's not much time left before my "deadline" of four days and 96 hours. If I don't give it my all now, won't it be too late to turn the tide once the time is up?

Faced with a formidable enemy, and hampered by incompetence on both sides, the entire team became bogged down in a quagmire.

“bokuboku!”

The little toy in Shizuka's hand, half raccoon and half teapot, frowned, looking thoughtful. It bit its finger, then suddenly darted out of her embrace, stretching out like a flying squirrel, and landed squarely on Nobita's face with a thud, sniffing his face and making strange chirping noises.

"What is this thing?" Fat Tiger's attention was completely focused on Nobita, and he didn't notice the strange little creature at all. At first glance, it looked somewhat familiar, and he was unusually surprised. "Where did you get this ball of yarn?"

"Xiao Wu, don't touch it. This is a tsukumogami we finally managed to invite, named Buji no Suke." Shizuka quickly stopped him from touching it, and said with a wry smile, "We had to say all sorts of nice things and give away a lot of snacks to get him here. This little guy is very picky, and he doesn't like Japanese sweets. He prefers Western desserts that he can't usually eat... But that's another story."

If Nobita hadn't been lying on the board, her desire to share might have been even stronger, but in the current situation, she simply didn't have the energy to spare any more attention.

"That round head, huge eyes, no neck, round body, and fluffy big tail... it feels like an old friend." Suneo first complained, then sighed, "I wish he were really here."

Tanuki Teapot stuck out its tongue and licked Nobita's cheek, then raised its furry little paws, making a sound that was somewhere between human speech and shouting. Of everyone present, only Rin's species was closest to it and could understand some of it.

"The situation is terrible. This person's soul is leaving his body and heading towards the Sanzu River."

The room was eerily quiet, while the sounds of gunfire outside seemed all the more pronounced, as if we were in two completely different worlds.

"We must get him to the temple immediately so the elders can use the 'Binding Cloth Technique' to freeze his soul in his body. That might buy us one or two days to think of another way..."

As the translation progressed, Rinne's expression darkened, while Buji no Suke continued to make a "bokuboku" sound with his claws still in place.

"What's wrong?" Shizuka keenly sensed that what followed might not be so pleasant. "Did he say something?"

"..." Lingyin glanced at her, somewhat conflicted, unsure how to relay the message.

"We've come this far, so let's just say what's on our minds," Asur sighed, somewhat helplessly. "It can't get any worse than this."

"Buji no Suke said that even with the Elder's help, they would only live a few more days. So far, many monsters have fallen victim to this trick, and many people have sought their help, but in the end, none of them have survived."

Rin's tone was somber. This wasn't just the predicament Nobita was about to face, but also his own future. If they couldn't defeat Hundred-Eyed King, she and this temporary body they were inhabiting would both be reduced to ashes. Watching his body crumble into dust, blown away by the wind... this feeling was completely different from traditional battle deaths. Even the bravest person would feel a chill run down their spine just imagining that scene.

"Even so... even so, we can't give up! We have to try!" Shizuka bit her lip, showing extraordinary decisiveness. "Suneo will stay here to keep an eye on the situation ahead, and also to provide backup for Kosuke. If he needs help, we need someone here to provide support."

From Gian's description, Suneo didn't think he had any room to intervene—that so-called strategy game sounded like some kind of divine artifact forged by super dark magic. Otherwise, with a mortal body like Kosuke's, there was no way he would have had a chance to hold off Hundred-Eyed King. On the other hand, at least until the game was completely over, Kosuke would be fine.

After a moment's thought, he didn't voice his conclusion, but instead nodded decisively. He knew very well that in this moment of low morale, what the team needed was not doubt, but unwavering faith. In truth, everyone was afraid, unsure of the next step. But it was precisely at times like these that it was crucial to present the appearance that everything was proceeding according to plan; at least that way, some room for continued fighting could be preserved.

Strangely enough, when the team still had a way out, he would often be the first to back down, crying and begging to go home to his mother. However, once the team was in a hopeless situation with no way to retreat, he seemed to find nothing to be afraid of anymore.

"Today I will either kill you all, or you will kill me"—this reflects a somewhat "what's the use" mentality.

"I will install a production line in the fortress and try to expand and upgrade the firepower coverage of the entire fortress before you return, laying out a defensive line. In case the enemy launches a massive attack, I can buy you some time. As for Xiaoshan... his location has been identified, and I will send drones to monitor his movements at all times."

Xiao Fu blew his nose, gave everyone a thumbs up, and laughed, "On the other hand, you guys better not mess things up."

"That stinky Nobita is putting on this hero's return act, isn't he? That's a bit too arrogant. When he wakes up, I'm going to give him a good kick in the butt. So, Gian, you better pull yourself together, there's no time to be depressed!"

"You must bring him back safe and sound!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

“Suneo…” Gian couldn’t stand such a smiling promise. His nose tingled, and he patted Suneo’s shoulder heavily, his tone gradually returning to normal. “Isn’t that just the way it is!?”

"No matter what happens in the end, I will never let go of his hand! We came as five people, and we will leave as five people!"

Chapter 299: Look, Nobita, Mr. Tumbler is very brave!

"Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Dang-dang!"

"Hmph h ...

It seemed as if someone was humming something faintly. Nobita opened his eyes from his drowsiness and heard the crackling sound of the fire in the stove.