Nobita's Time Heist

"?!"

Fat Tiger was slightly surprised, but his innate martial arts instincts told him that this move was not easy to block. Just as he was about to step back and stumble, the Lightning Bolt firmly gripped his hand. The microcomputer read that the opponent was about to use Tang Bamboo Cut, so it adopted a conventional defense and prepared to launch a counterattack.

"Hell..."

This is the biggest conflict between machine control and human control: when their judgments differ, they fight for command. And this struggle causes them to miss the best opportunity to dodge. Fat Tiger can only play along, holding the blade to his chest to block the vertical slash that is wreathed in lightning.

"Ding----"

There was a crisp sound.

Lei Guang swallowed it whole.

Even though he caught the slash, the Lightning Ball was still knocked out of his hand by the impact, and Gian's hands went numb as a result, causing him to involuntarily take a few steps back.

……

"Xiao Wu..."

Before Shizuka could finish speaking, Gian raised his left arm, making a "no need to come forward" gesture. He then slowly rose from his half-kneeling position, flexed his wrist, and looked at his slightly trembling hand with a rather amused expression.

"Was that your real skill just now? That was close." His smile grew even more excited. "If you hadn't used the [adaptation lamp] beforehand, you probably would have been charred alive."

"..."

Seeing that his attack had failed to kill his opponent, Hideyori was utterly shocked. In his worldview, lightning was the most powerful thing in the world. If even the power of thunder couldn't kill him, then how could he possibly leave a scar on his opponent?

He dared not step forward again, but instead made a gesture of brandishing his sword, changed to holding the sword with both hands, and stood ready, thinking about which sword style to use to fight his opponent in the next round.

but……

Unexpectedly, Gian didn't pick up the fallen Dianguangdan. Instead, he lowered his center of gravity, like a sumo wrestler, landing on all fours with his arms outstretched, assuming the famous "Hiragumo" stance. The meaning of this stance was so clear that even a layman like Hideyori could recognize it at a glance.

At this moment, Hideyori was sweating profusely.

“You knocked my sword away. Perfect, I haven’t really studied swordsmanship for very long, I only know some basic moves.”

He half-raised his head, his bangs partially obscuring his eyes, but unable to hide his triumphant smile.

"How about we..."

"How about we try a different game?"

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.

"Boom——!!!"

With all four limbs exerting force, a short and powerful explosion erupted, and Fat Tiger's figure, like a bullet fired from a gun, broke through the air and quickly attacked Hideyori!

The taut strings all loosened at that moment, and Hideyori shouted loudly, not to be outdone, and once again gathered lightning, striking from bottom to top with a left horizontal slash.

An arc of electricity traced an elegant line through the air, crackling and sputtering like a dancing dragon. The dragon-transformed man's vertical pupils narrowed; in that split second, he clearly saw the blade flash past, striking Fat Tiger's neck!

"Ha! Got it!"—The interval was too short to speak, so he only thought it to himself.

However, the next second...

The fat tiger that had been struck suddenly began to blur like a wave. The vertical pupils widened in shock, unable to believe that he had only struck an afterimage. The real fat tiger, however, had anticipated the direction of his strike and executed a Z-shaped tremor, avoiding vital points and charging into Hideyori's sword encirclement.

At this distance, weapons become a constraint.

What's frozen in the vertical pupil is a fist enlarged by the [Super Glove].

"boom------!!"

Without further ado, a punch landed squarely on his face.

Hideyori felt everything in his field of vision begin to spin rapidly. The paintings hanging on the wall flashed past his eyes several times, but he couldn't stop them. The punch almost made his head spin. He should have felt intense pain, but he only felt a faint tingling sensation. A warm stream rushed out of his nose and flowed into the corner of his mouth.

"what!!!"

Gian roared, raised one leg, and stomped hard on Hideyori's chest. The force of the blow shattered the beautiful crimson-gold armor. Hideyori's body, like a ball, crashed heavily to the ground with a thud, but bounced back up again thanks to his enhanced resilience.

Bend your right leg, and the power accumulates in your muscles, bursting out in an instant.

The powerful kick slammed into Hideyori's back; this powerful shot, comparable to a soccer player's, sent him flying from the ground into the sky.

Chapter 62: This slap woke him up

The moment he crashed through the ceiling, his mind seemed to clear a little, and Hideyori could feel himself rising higher and higher. In a sense, he had fulfilled his wish to overlook Osaka Castle—by being kicked away. Fine raindrops began to fall from the sky, hitting his face. Hideyori gritted his teeth, struggling to maintain his balance, and finally managed to do a somersault in mid-air, planting the Crimson Blade into the eaves with one hand.

"Sizzle—!!"

The blade carved a line, finally managing to neutralize the kinetic energy on its body and bring it to a stop.

"……Pooh!"

He spat out the blood and foam from the corner of his mouth, along with fragments of his teeth. Fat Tiger's ferocious jab had loosened his back teeth, and several were almost half-shattered. Fortunately, Hideyori still held the Crimson Blade tightly in his hand; otherwise, this battle would likely have ended at that moment.

"The power of the people from the future is truly terrifying. If we could obtain that power... what would Tokugawa Ieyasu be compared to us?"

The blade of the scarlet sword gleamed coldly, and the rustling whispers mingled with the sound of rain reached his ears.

"...Ah, whether you are a god or anything else, you don't need to worry about me. I am...the son of all mankind!"

Hideyori rubbed the spot where he had been kicked; the pain was gradually subsiding. He sensed something was wrong, but since he was still wearing his armor, he couldn't touch his abdomen. He could only symbolically touch the side of his neck. Sure enough, the hard sensation he felt confirmed his transformation.

"If I accept this power, will I no longer be human?" He gave a bitter laugh, scooped up some rainwater with his hand, and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "It doesn't matter!"

"As long as Osaka Castle can be saved, I'm willing to become a demon or a monster!"

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.

"Boom!!"

A sonic boom that was full of oppressive force.

Fat Tiger leaped out of the temple, stretching his body in mid-air and executing a classic gymnastics move—a triple and a half twist—jumping over most of the buildings with superhuman jumping ability, landing steadily on the roof of another building not far away. Lightning seemed to serve as his backdrop, and the rain dampened the stray hairs on his forehead, making him look more like the one who needed to be conquered.

"Oh...he's from a prestigious family after all, he won't give in so easily." Gian glanced at him from afar and judged that Hideyori still had the will to fight, grinning, "Suneo, how's it going on your end?"

"The wind direction is a bit bad... but with my piloting skills, this is definitely not a problem." Suneo looked at the uniform fighter jet models placed around him, rubbing the remote control handle with one hand, already eager to try it out. "The inhibitor I prepared with the [Medical Kit] has already been loaded as live ammunition, and with the spy satellite that Shizuka released as guidance, it will definitely hit the target accurately."

"That's good. Shizuka set this weather using the Weather Box; she probably had her reasons. Our plans will proceed as usual!"

Fat Tiger took out a ninja scroll, bit it into his mouth, and laughed, "An opportunity to fight a samurai in real combat, this is something else..."

"Whoosh!"

With a flash of afterimage, the Flying Thunder God Technique was activated instantly, and Gian's figure traversed dozens of meters, appearing directly opposite Hideyori. His opponent was clearly unprepared; startled, he hastily drew his sword to strike, his movements quite exaggerated.

"Ah……"

Fat Tiger sneered, opened his arms, and quickly clapped his hands together.

"Boom————!!!"

With the power of the super glove, even a simple clapping motion had the effect of a shockwave. Rain and air were blown away, hitting Xiu Lai squarely in the face, forcing him to regain his footing. His shoe slid several meters across the rooftop, ripping off several tiles. He abruptly lowered his legs to stop his retreat, then gripped his knife in both hands, let out a roar, and charged forward again.

The scarlet blade, crackling with electricity, struck with every blow, yet every strike missed its mark.

Gian mastered the art of "retreating when the enemy advances," constantly retreating and dodging Hideyori's series of lightning-fast slashes with minimal movement.

He used every technique imaginable: the Great Robe, the Tang Bamboo Cutter, the Left Horizontal Cutter, the One-Sword Slash, the Tooth-Shaped Thrust… but he managed to deflect every single one by a hair's breadth, just a tiny fraction away from touching his opponent's body. And it was precisely that tiny fraction that made him truly despair. Hideyori felt like a fisherman facing off against an old, slippery, almost cunning eel. Every time he was about to catch it, the eel would twist its body and slip right through his fingers.

"How could this be... how could this happen...?!!"

As his strength waned and his attempts to achieve their goals repeatedly failed, Hideyori grew increasingly frustrated. He had planned to use the Crimson Blade for a swift and decisive victory, launching a surprise attack on Ieyasu and catching him completely off guard. Unexpectedly, he found himself blocked at his doorstep by a mere ninja.

But on the other hand, if one cannot even defeat a mere ninja, what right does one have to rule the world?

He swung the blade with increasing rage. With a "whoosh," the crimson blade sliced ​​through the rain, but grazed past Fat Tiger's neck. This time, the opponent chose to retreat and stand on the edge of the eaves, a position where one more step back would result in a fall.

Despite being cornered, Gian's expression remained calm and composed, showing no sign of crisis.

On the contrary, Hideyori's expression was not good, and his breathing was fluctuating greatly.

……

After a brief silence, Gian smiled.

"Ninja? What's so funny?" After failing to break through for so long, Hideyori's face showed a hint of annoyance. "I just want to protect my children, my clan, and the dreams and glory that my father spent his whole life creating. Is that funny?"

"Sorry, sorry, I wasn't laughing at that. Actually, just now, when we were exchanging sword blows with the Electric Spark, I sensed it almost..."

Fat Tiger's smile didn't fade; instead, it grew even brighter. "This should be your first time actually fighting someone in real combat, right?"

"What nonsense are you spouting?! My swordsmanship was honed under the tutelage of renowned warriors of our time! They were all illustrious martial artists who had served my father..."

“Oh, I see. No wonder.” Fat Tiger looked enlightened and laughed. “I know someone. He’s from the Mayan Empire… uh… you might not know where the Mayans are, but anyway, his status is similar to yours, he’s also a prince. But, because of his status, no one ever really takes him seriously during training. They always lose by the slightest margin.”

"You may think your swordsmanship is superb, but that's just an illusion created by your teacher and sparring partners holding back time and time again, whether intentionally or unintentionally. In reality, they don't dare to hurt someone of your noble status, so they hold back. Swordsmanship trained in this environment may look impressive at first glance, but it's actually full of flaws."

"It's always the same few moves, no changes, and the basic skills are just so-so. This knife is certainly sharp, but if it can't hit anyone, it's meaningless."

Fat Tiger shrugged and said in a very calm tone, "Once you get used to it, you become very boring in my eyes."

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.

……

"You... rude scoundrel..."

"Are you saying that my swordsmanship, Toyotomi Hideyori's, is not worth mentioning?!"

For a samurai, this was the greatest insult, especially from Hideyori, who always spoke of the world as his target. He immediately roared and charged forward, unleashing a reverse kasaya strike at Gian's neck.

"..."

He crouched down, and the blade grazed past Fat Tiger's hair.

"Bang----!!!"

He slapped Xiu Lai across the face, knocking him off the roof. Xiu Lai crashed through several walls and finally slammed into the trunk of a willow tree.

Chapter 63: Let's fight for the violin!

Fat Tiger gave him no time to catch his breath, leaping down from the roof and slamming his fist directly at him.

"boom----!!!"

At the last moment, Hideyori gritted his teeth, rolled sideways, and awkwardly escaped the point of impact. A loud explosion came from behind, sending debris flying. Even the deeply rooted old willow tree swayed a few times, and a large crater was blasted into the ground. In the center of the crater, Fat Tiger slowly pulled his fist out of the ground, his gaze fixed on a tree branch.

This is a tree branch with a perfect shape and length, just like the kind you find on your way home from school when you were a child, and you wave it all the way home, reluctant to throw it away.

“You probably don’t believe me just by talking…” Fat Tiger swung his arms twice, removing all the protruding splinters and branches, turning it into a stick about the length of a samurai sword. “Come on.”

Wood versus iron.

Although Gian didn't intend to humiliate him, Hideyori was objectively furious. This anger was mostly pent-up frustration, so he gripped his sword in one hand, roared, and charged at his opponent again.

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.

"How pathetic..." Suneo was observing the duel from multiple angles through the spy satellite and couldn't help but sigh, "It seems like there's no suspense left. We prepared so many contingency plans, but the actual fight is much easier than we imagined."

"Because Takeru is too strong." Shizuka exclaimed in the channel, "If fighting counts as combat, then Hideyori's combat experience might actually be less than Takeru's."

"That Gian guy, wasn't he always representing the school in competitions? I remember he basically dominated all the competitions for his age group in the Kanto region. Other schools all knew we had someone like him; he's really popular outside of school now. Ah..." Suneo's voice paused, then lowered, "Of course, all of this happened before the timeline changed..."

“That’s why we’re here, doing our best to solve this time-space catastrophe,” Shizuka said, sensing his thoughts. “Not just for the sake of time-space order, but also to reclaim our former lives… isn’t that right?”

"If I can't return to the modern world, even the violin will disappear, which will be very troubling for me."

"Ah... well..."

"If you were to play the violin, the neighbors might find it quite bothersome," Suneo thought, but due to the danger warning instilled in him by Gian over the years, he didn't say it aloud. He simply picked up the remote control, adjusted it a couple of times, and said, "Almost there, it's time for me to launch my final attack."

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.

"noodle!"

"Card!"

"Little hands!"

The classic three-hit combo was landed squarely by Gian. The wooden stick struck Hideyori's inner forearm, dissipating the force of his blows. Hideyori angrily swung his sword, but due to exhaustion, his entire movement became distorted, and Gian easily deflected it with the stick. This created an undefended opening in Hideyori's chest.

A classic Spartan kick landed on his chest.

"Boom————!!!"

The badly damaged Hideyori flew backward, plowing a deep furrow in the ground. He rolled several times, was kicked dozens of meters away, crashed through a wall, and finally came to a stop at a crossroads.

Before nightfall, a considerable commotion arose in Osaka Castle. Although the heavy rain kept people from wandering the streets, the commotion still caused many to open their windows and doors. It seemed that someone recognized the important figure from the family crest on the armor, and the discussion grew increasingly heated.

……

"Ugh... So noisy... What are you all arguing about? I... I haven't lost yet..." Hideyori tried to stand up, moving his arm where he had been hit; the soreness hadn't subsided. Even with dragon scales covering his body, his internal structure remained unchanged; the physiological weaknesses that humans couldn't overcome still existed. Gian had seen this, which was why he chose to strike his paralyzed tendons.