Nobita's Time Heist

"That cat-shaped robot saw through this long ago, and therefore chose us, chose those who truly yearn for the truth!"

"...Nonsense!...Bullshit!" Fat Tiger nearly ground his teeth to powder as he roared, "Our partners would never do something like this, never!"

“Perhaps you don’t understand him at all.” The Shadow Warrior’s tone was unusually sharp. “Or perhaps, you don’t even understand yourselves.”

He raised his right foot high, aiming at the back of Gian's head.

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.

"Ughh ...

The next instant, the Flying Thunder God Technique activated, and Suneo suddenly appeared above his head. With almost all his might, he thrust the wakizashi fiercely towards the back of the Shadow Warrior's neck.

when--! !

Sparks flew.

The so-called wakizashi is actually a kind of "secondary weapon" in games, about 30 to 60 centimeters long, and is a short samurai sword. According to legend, Miyamoto Musashi's Niten Ichi-ryu swords consisted of one long and one short sword, and the short one was the wakizashi. It was a self-defense weapon that ordinary people, citizens, merchants and other non-samurai were allowed to carry.

However, because of its shorter length, it is more suitable for small people like Xiaofu. Using the momentum of the downward thrust, plus all the weight, he managed to pierce right into the mechanical "joint" engagement point.

"...Ha...you actually stabbed a robot in the neck, what can I say?"

The shadow warrior sneered and controlled the parts inside his body to operate. The gears meshed together and immediately snapped the wakizashi stuck in his neck.

Seeing that things were going badly, Suneo quickly bit the scroll, preparing to activate the Flying Thunder God Technique. But before he could do that, the Shadow Warrior's hand wrapped around him at a reverse joint angle, grabbed his collar, pulled him off the back of his neck, spun him around in the air, and slammed him against the wall with a bang.

"I thought you ran away. Forgive my bluntness, but you don't look like the type who could share hardships with someone." The Shadow Warrior shrugged in a very human way and laughed. "But... seriously, do you really think that a cold weapon forged by a 16th-century blacksmith can hurt me?"

"Suneo," Gian gritted his teeth, "you idiot..."

"Don't worry, your deaths won't change anything. The one thing we have in abundance here is corpses." The Shadow Warrior pressed a hand against Xiaofu's forehead, bending his three-pronged hairstyle. "So, in the very end, do you have any last words?"

……

"Gian, the train... do you remember?" Suneo managed to squeeze out the words through gritted teeth, "The train in the mine, the train!"

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 exactly are the advantages of humans compared to machines?

As the Shadow Warrior said, in terms of hardware, they can't even come close. Therefore, to win, they can only rely on things that machines lack, such as…

tacit agreement.

From the perspective of the Shadow Warrior, even if he ran his CPU on fire, he still couldn't understand what these two meant by "the train in the mine." Because he could only analyze concrete things; a mine was a mine, and a train was a train. But for Gian and Suneo, it was a past experience, a memory; as long as they used keywords as a trigger, they could easily connect a wealth of information in their minds.

With an absolutely unbreakable code, Xiaofu had completed the final tactical arrangements.

Gian, on the other hand, carried it out with unwavering determination!

"Ninjutsu..."

"boom----!!"

Realizing the situation had changed, the Shadow Warrior didn't hesitate for a moment. He immediately turned around and aimed his free right hand at Fat Tiger. In the instant he suddenly sprang up, a fountain of energy lit up in his palm. The points of light converged and shot out a light beam of light.

Fat Tiger's ascent was clearly the result of specialized training. Although this situation was unlikely to occur, he had considered how to quickly get up after being knocked down. He mobilized almost all the muscles in his body, moving with incredible speed, but still couldn't outrun the beam. The charged beam pierced through his body in an instant, striking the ground and scorching the hard surface into a bright red, molten lava-like color.

but……

Just as if the two were not on the same layer, they "passed through" each other.

Fat Tiger's actions were not affected in the slightest. With a strong sense of conviction, he shouted out the ninjutsu that had once turned the tide for the team.

"【The Art of Passing Through Walls】————!!!"

Finally, their bodies were completely overlapped.

……

Theoretically far more sophisticated sensors than those of humans failed to detect anything amiss; broadly speaking, the machine itself showed no abnormalities. In that instant, the Shadow Warrior couldn't help but have a strange thought: if he were human, how would he feel seeing another person simply "insert" their hand into his heart, groping around inside?

Is it like now, where I can't feel anything, or... will I experience some kind of strange feeling that only humans have?

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.

Unfortunately, as he himself said, he was a "machine" superior to humans.

When Gian roared and suddenly exerted his strength, pulling a round, emerald-green object out of his chest, he truly experienced what it meant to feel a chill in his heart, a phrase often used by humans.

Chapter 44: Incompetent in foreign wars, expert in civil wars

On that over-exploited planet, riddled with mines, Fat Tiger experienced the true terror of this scroll early on.

However, he's always been a rather simple-minded person, and too lazy to figure out the principles and uses of any gadgets. This is perhaps the fundamental difference between him and Nobita, both being reckless fools. So much so that, even at this crucial moment, he needed Suneo's reminder before he could use this move.

The moment the wall-penetrating technique is activated can be understood as Gian's body not interacting with any physical entities around him, briefly entering another, higher dimension.

The fact that he was able to pull a locomotive straight out of the pit means... he actually has the ability to imbue other entities with the same state. Just like now, he inserted a part of his body into the Shadow Warrior's body and gave that part the same dimensions, which allowed him to directly pull it out of his body.

The Shadow Warrior's expression became quite interesting at that moment. Despite being an intelligent consciousness, it displayed a panic that only humans would exhibit. Meanwhile, Xiao Fu, whose other hand was being held down, realized that this guy also possessed a weapon he hadn't used before—the Palm Cannon. Regardless of his reasons for not using it—whether it was arrogance or disdain—Xiao Fu immediately activated his Wall-Passing Technique, reaching inside the Shadow Warrior's arm. With a ripping sound, he pulled out a series of mechanical structures, along with the intricately engraved circuits and wires.

"Sizzle—!"

The splashing lubricant made the scene look like it was rated 18+.

"Scream! Scream again!"

As if retaliating for all the anger he'd just suffered, Fat Tiger turned and kicked him to the ground. He then reached into the man's chest, rummaged around for a while, and frantically tossed things out like he was buying merchandise. A clattering sound filled the air, accompanied by the thud of metal parts hitting the ground, and lubricant gushed out from his joints without restraint. If a living person were lying there, it would be as if Fat Tiger had ripped out all his internal organs, leaving him spurting blood everywhere.

Thinking about it this way, it's fortunate he's a robot; he's inadvertently solved many problems for Gian. If it were a living, breathing person here, they would have some reservations before unleashing such a brutal attack. But the difference between flesh and steel allows Gian to strike without restraint.

"If there is a cyber hell, once you get there, don't forget..." Fat Tiger narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth, "You died at the hands of this great one, Gouda Takeshi!"

"laugh--!!"

Pull again.

"Ah...ahhhhhh...AAAAA...%*）%@￥"

The Shadow Warrior's voice morphed into a jumble of gibberish. He extended his right hand towards Fat Tiger, but this time, his joints creaked like an old man's. His body froze, all life drained away, becoming nothing more than a motionless block of metal. The dark red light in the optical lens flickered twice, like a faulty light bulb, before going out.

"boom!"

Out of rage, Fat Tiger kicked him in the head again, bending the metal neck at about a 15-degree angle.

"call……"

Suneo, on the other hand, let out a complete sigh of relief, as if all the strength had been drained from his body. He collapsed to the ground, his voice filled with disbelief, "We actually won... Just the two of us, without even using Doraemon's gadgets, actually beat an opponent like that..."

"Not bad, Suneo, I'm impressed!" Gian patted him hard on the shoulder, then bent down and picked up the scattered parts one by one. "If it weren't for your slash, who knows what would have happened in the end."

"Ouch... Next time you hit someone, could you be a little gentler..." Xiao Fu clutched his arm, which was almost dislocated by the slap, and cried, "I feel like you hit me harder than this robot."

……

After a moment of silence, both of their gazes naturally shifted to the motionless shadow warrior.

"Speaking of which, what's up with this guy? Is he a time traveler like us?"

"It's probably true... He just mentioned Doraemon, humph, I don't believe a word of it!" Fat Tiger was furious when he thought of what the Shadow Warrior had just said. "Because they're not happy with the 'present,' instead of trying to solve the current situation, they want to go back to the past and reshape it in a way that benefits them... No matter how high-sounding their words are, in my opinion, that's exactly what they're up to."

"Suneo, think back, does Doraemon seem like one of them?"

"..."

Needless to say, Doraemon's concept of time and space instilled in these four children has always been impeccably correct. A large portion of the adventures the five have experienced involve combating trans-temporal crime, almost stealing the jobs of the Time Police.

"I think either they used some means to control Doraemon's mind, or..."

"The Doraemon he talks about is completely different from the one we remember!"

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.

This hypothesis is quite bold. It must be said that Xiaofu's mind is indeed quick-witted. Before this, none of them had ever considered this possibility.

But before they could discuss the possibility of this hypothesis further, a series of hurried hoofbeats came from the empty streets and alleys.

Infantry, cavalry, and musketeers surrounded them from all sides, forming a tight encirclement that completely surrounded the two men. Toyotomi Hideyori rode in front, his black and gold armor gleaming in the firelight, truly making him appear heroic and extraordinary, possessing a certain air of a young and powerful ruler. Among this group of generally short soldiers, his height was striking, perfectly complementing his stature on horseback.

The crimson sword hung at his waist, trembling restlessly.

"Unauthorized trespassing into a granary, a vital grain storage area, during the war is an unforgivable crime! If this causes trouble, and the Tokugawa army seizes this opportunity to launch a large-scale attack, our need to requisition supplies may be hindered." Hideyori's voice was penetrating, especially in the quiet night. "You two! Are you spies sent by the Tokugawa army to disrupt us?"

At the commander's order, everyone raised their weapons, aiming at the two people in the center. A chilling, murderous aura emanated from their ankles, rising up and gently caressing their necks.

It seems that this long night... is far from over.

"Ha...haha...a traitor?" Gian laughed and repeated, slowly pacing to Suneo's side. He then raised his voice, shouting with great force, "A traitor?!"

His voice was already loud, and with his eyes wide open, his sudden shout was just as imposing. Despite being surrounded, he showed no fear whatsoever. Hideyori's troops were momentarily intimidated, and their expressions showed some hesitation.

After all, judging from the commotion of the battle just now, these two ninjas were definitely not ordinary people...

……

"...Gian?"

Suneo noticed that Gian, who had been hiding his right hand behind his back, clenched it into a fist and slowly extended two fingers towards him. This was a tactical hand signal frequently used by Team Gian for internal communication, but usually only Nobita would see it, because that kid was exceptionally slow to react; if he wasn't given instructions beforehand, he would take a long time to even judge where to run and position himself…

"Ready to run the bases"—that's the meaning behind the gesture.

Suneo understood immediately, silently took a small step to the right, hid behind Gian, and bit the scroll in his mouth, ready to run away at any moment.

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.

“There’s a traitor in your team, but the person you should really suspect is…”

Fat Tiger grabbed the Shadow Warrior who was frozen on the ground and slammed him in front of Hideaki's horse with a clatter, like a piece of cast iron hitting the ground.

"It's him!"

Chapter 45: Fat Tiger, Fat Tiger, the whole audience cheers!

"My God! Buddha, please protect me, Buddha, please protect me..."

"What is this thing? Is it a monster?"

“I’ve never heard of such a monster before… no, he… he looks like a puppet…”

"This is clearly a person! Look, it has eyes, a nose, a mouth... it has everything!"

"Nonsense! Do you think that's meat? That's clearly iron! It's made of iron!"

"How could there be such a large piece of iron..."

……

Soon, commotion arose among the officers and soldiers. This was only natural; regardless of whether they were ninjas sent by Tokugawa or not, the thing he had brought out was certainly not human.

"There's a saying, 'Those who are not of our kind will surely have ulterior motives.' Regardless of whether it's Toyotomi or Tokugawa, you are at least human beings, aren't you?"

Fat Tiger casually picked up the twisted and deformed demon mask from the ground and tossed it to Hideyori on horseback, saying, "You've been keeping this inhuman thing by your side, don't you realize it? How much of what he promised you was true, and how much was false? Haven't you used your brain to think about it?"

Hideyori was bewildered by the barrage of questions. Firstly, he was the sole supreme ruler in this castle. Regardless of the changing external circumstances, at least within Osaka Castle, the Toyotomi family still held the reins. Those in high positions often possess a mysterious confidence in themselves, because they have never tasted defeat and always feel that as long as they speak, everything will naturally proceed.

Secondly...

The Shadow Warrior's true identity dealt a fatal blow to the young master. He had expected that this guy wouldn't be as simple as he looked, but he never imagined that the face hidden behind the mask would be like this.

"How audacious! How arrogant!"

Another dignified female voice came from the side. The sedan chair landed, and a woman with long hair that seemed to be tied in knots and dragged to the ground, dressed as if she wanted to completely cover herself, with white makeup on her round face so thick that it could be scraped off and used as wall paint, slowly stepped out.

"Lord Treasury," Hideyori groaned inwardly, "It's so late, you should be resting in your palace, why..."

"You two are nothing but stray dogs who appeared out of nowhere, daring to act so presumptuously in Osaka Castle? This is not your countryside; this is Osaka Castle, the place where all the daimyo of Japan must march to!" The Ōkura-kyō completely ignored Hideyori's words, glaring at him. "Do you think that with Sanada Nobushige here, you can be guaranteed to be safe?"

"This is still the Osaka Castle of the Toyotomi family! In this city, there is no room for wild dogs to run rampant. Tomorrow morning, your heads hanging on the castle gate will prove this to everyone!"

"Wait a minute, Lord Okura!" Hideyori's tone suddenly became urgent. Clearly, this was completely different from what he had expected. "These two are guest retainers under the Minamoto clan's priestess. They shouldn't be treated so hastily."

"So you knew all along," Suneo thought to himself. "So, you were just trying to trick us and didn't actually kill us? It seems Hideyori isn't stupid after all; he knows not to completely offend Shizuka's side."

"In comparison, his teammates are..."

"That heavy rain was merely a coincidence, and had nothing to do with that shrine maiden. The only thing truly trustworthy is the 'Dragon Pill.'" Ōkura-kyō's tone was completely flat, white powder filling the wrinkles on her forehead, making her look like a booming hyena. "Your Highness! Now that Hideyoshi-sama is not here, Your Highness is the only one who matters under heaven. Please show the spirit of the people who govern the world!"

“Sanada Nobushige is merely Your Highness’s retainer. Even if you asked him to commit seppuku, he wouldn’t dare utter a single complaint, let alone the two stray dogs kept by his priestess?”

"Perfect timing! Most of his ronin and samurai are unruly and dissolute, causing trouble and violating the law in Osaka Castle. Let these two serve as a warning..."

"Suneo," Fat Tiger asked impatiently, picking at his ear, "who is this old hag?"

“She must be the Grand Secretary.” Oofuku probably sensed what was about to happen and sighed helplessly. “She is Hideyori’s mother and Chacha’s wet nurse.”

"Hahaha!"