Nobita's Time Heist

Fortunately, Dekisugi was one of their own at this moment; otherwise, after explaining the general plot, his role would have been basically over.

“Elemental affinity also varies in magnitude, which determines the amount of elemental power that can be activated at once. Combining different elements can even produce more powerful effects, but of course, these are deeper topics.”

Dekisugi tilted his head slightly towards the people in the square. "See the rings around their necks?"

"Only five?" Nobita noticed the detail. "They're different from the ones you have, Xiaoshan."

"The number of rings represents the power of that elementalist, and those flag bearers who just raised the flag with five rings invoked the wind element... You don't seem surprised at all?"

"I've seen people who can summon wind before, but that was a long time ago." Nobita exclaimed, looking at the golden triangular flag dancing in the sky. "Speaking of which, Kogane, you have seven rings around your neck! Does that mean you're much more powerful than others?"

“I… am reluctant to use the word ‘powerful’ to describe it. Here, power, money, and all social status are determined by the strength of one’s elemental power.” Dekisugi sighed, expressing his dissatisfaction with the system in the Golden City. “People below the fourth ring are considered to have extremely weak elemental affinity and are not qualified to live in the city center. Conversely, the closer one is to that palace, the higher their affinity.”

"Under this selection system, the highest elemental affinity can be granted nine consecutive rings. It is said that since the establishment of Golden Village, there has only been one such case. Moreover, as far as I know, that person has already left Golden Village."

"What remains is the destination of our journey..."

……

The door slowly opened.

The eight metal rings hanging on such a delicate neck seemed rather heavy.

"You've been watching me, Nobita."

Helia's voice startled him, and inexplicably, he seemed to sense something. The girl's demeanor, appearance, and the curiosity in her bright eyes—even though it was curiosity about him, which would normally be considered somewhat impolite—all combined to make Nobita feel that he had seen her before.

where is it?

Where……

"Is there something on my face?"

"I was thinking..." Nobita, lost in thought, found it difficult to handle multiple tasks at once, and subconsciously blurted out his thoughts, "Your neck looks so thin, with so many iron rings, won't it break?"

"Ignorant person!"

Among the guards standing below the steps, clad in red robes, some reacted immediately. However, unlike the swords drawn in typical historical dramas, they extended only one hand, a bright flame instantly flickering in their palm. In an instant, flames erupted throughout the golden hall, their light reflecting off their red robes.

"How can you guys have no sense of humor at all? He was just joking!" Hylia complained, raising her right hand and snapping her fingers lightly.

"boom!"

Several streams of water burst precisely in their palms, extinguishing the flames completely.

"Skip all the boring small talk and greetings!" With a casual yet stunning move, Hylia leaped down the stairs, the clasp around her neck jingling. She placed her hands behind her back, a smile of pure, innocent girlishness on her face. "I want to see that strange creature that came into the city with you!"

"If it's okay, could I take it apart for just one moment?"

She held up a finger, her eyes almost sparkling, and pleaded with utmost sincerity, "I promise, I'll put it back together for you."

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.

"We built tall houses, and the stars danced in our palms~~~"

Hylia walked alone at the very front of the group, skipping and hopping, humming a strange little tune, like a child going on a spring outing, unable to contain her excitement.

"I thought she would be more, how should I put it... more composed?" Nobita whispered in Dekisugi's ear.

“She has an extraordinary curiosity, and she always shows unusual curiosity about the unknown, just like a child,” Dekisugi sighed. “But in some places, she can be very calm, like an emotionless robot.”

"It was this remarkable girl who led this golden land."

Nobita glanced at Hylia's retreating figure and couldn't help but ask, "How old is she exactly?"

This time, before Dekisugi could answer, Hylia's voice came from the front of the group, as clear and melodious as a silver bell.

"It's very impolite to secretly ask a girl's age, Nobita."

"...??!"

Seeing Nobita's bewildered expression, Hylia grinned mischievously and put her hands behind her back. "The Spirit of Voice will send your whispers to my ears."

"As long as you are within this golden land, whether large or small, as long as I am willing, any sound..."

"None of them can escape my ears."

Chapter 95: At least one of you three is a god.

“kukukukakak——!!”

This was probably the first time someone had shown such clear interest in US dollars, which drove him to a frenzy, leading him to perform somersaults. He instantly transformed into a giant, executed a graceful backflip, and then transformed again in mid-air, landing as an off-road vehicle that crashed heavily to the ground. Not only that, he also displayed his arsenal: swords, shields, axes, and two terrifying revolving pistols. The US dollars, derived from military vehicles, amounted to roughly a massive arsenal, leaving everyone utterly astonished.

The fire sorcerers who had come with Hylia, essentially serving as her bodyguards, all stared wide-eyed. Their faces were partially obscured by their robes, but the wariness in their eyes was unmistakable. Perhaps fearing Hylia might overhear them, they didn't exchange words, but instead spread out, forming a tight encirclement around Nobita and Meijin.

“Dao Xiong, you really are…” Dekisugi swallowed hard, looked up at the versatile off-road vehicle, and exclaimed, “You’re really good at surprising people.”

“Interesting…extremely interesting…” Instead of rushing to disassemble it as she claimed, Hylia stretched out her hands, palms facing outward, her eyes slightly closed. “I can’t sense any elemental flow; on the contrary, there’s an even more powerful force…”

"Is he a life form you created?"

"If you really want to put it that way, you could say that." Nobita scratched his head, seemingly not thinking it was anything special. "The dollar is a special life form I created using the [Inanimate Hypnosis Horn]. Generally speaking, the effects of items don't last that long. However, I guess... since there are some items that are 'hard to accept suggestions,' there are also some items that are 'particularly easy to accept suggestions.' Maybe it belongs to the latter."

"Boom... Boom—!!"

The money that had turned into a car paid no attention to their talking about it. The engine roared, and with a spin of its four wheels, it raced around the yard like a puppy, as if it wanted to tease the tense fire sorcerers.

"As long as he believes, and continues to believe, that he has life, he can live on."

"Is your magic a belief?" Hylia shook her head with a smile. "Creating a life with a soul isn't that simple, Nobita."

"A soul?" Nobita looked incredulous. "US dollars?"

"Yes, he is different from machines created by humans; a soul resides within him. Only with a soul can one possess the concept of 'self'... Although this concept is still very shallow, far from reaching the complexity of humans, it does exist. Only with a self can one firmly believe that one is not an inanimate object."

"Who was present when he was born?"

Nobita counted on his fingers, "Me, Arthur, and..."

"Asur".

"Oh...I see..."

A mischievous glint appeared on Hylia's delicate face. Like a child eager to imitate a famous line after watching a detective drama, she said in a affected tone, "If my deduction is correct..."

"Among the three of you, at least one is a 'god,' 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.

"Ha~~~"

Asur yawned, lazily sprawled on the sofa, and complained, "I haven't slept almost all night, how do you guys still have the energy to cause trouble? Wouldn't it be better to get some more sleep?"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk... Still a child at heart, no sense of crisis at all." Xiaofu held up a finger and waved it triumphantly in front of her. "Suddenly arriving in a completely unfamiliar and isolated place, where the inhabitants have already clearly shown hostility towards us, how could we possibly fall asleep peacefully?"

"Just last night, I had Shizuka release thirty-six [spy satellites]. By now, they've already thoroughly explored every nook and cranny of Golden Country!" Suneo slammed a map on the table, his eyebrows practically flying off. "Clang! Clang!!"

"...You're getting better and better at this kind of thing," Fat Tiger retorted irritably. "And then what?"

Xiaofu tapped the table. "Last night, everyone witnessed it, right? That strange swarm of insects disappeared as soon as they entered the land below the strange circle."

To be precise, only Nobita saw it. But for his comrades who had fought side by side for many years, it was an undeniable fact that Nobita saw anything strange.

"Then, we saw the Golden City, right? Think about it carefully, this foreign city was built on a huge void, and inside the void were extremely dangerous insects..." He deliberately emphasized his tone and slowed down his speech, as if using this method to explain the necessity of this action, "With all these factors combined, do you still think I'm making this up?"

"Don't forget, the OX fortune teller's answer is—Xiaoshan is in a comfortable environment, but there is still a risk of losing her life."

He lowered his voice, "What if? What if this is all a conspiracy?"

"..." Shizuka's eyes showed some hesitation; it was clear she didn't think it was a good idea. However, what Suneo said couldn't be ignored. This wasn't the first time they'd encountered something like this, and the guards of Golden Village had indeed shown hostility. Rather than sitting here waiting to be surrounded step by step, it was better to take the initiative.

“Alright, since no one has any objections, let’s split up as before!” Xiaofu licked his lips and pointed to the center of the map. “Here! There’s a huge plaza with nine pillars standing there. Whatever their purpose is… the spy satellites have discovered that beneath the plaza lies a deep, bottomless cavern, which may be related to an underground cavity.”

"Fat Tiger and I will go over there and check things out."

"In contrast, Shizuka and Asur, you two... go here."

He pointed to the upper left corner of the map, "The Great Library of Golden City. Generally speaking, it stores a lot of important information. Maybe we can find some intelligence here."

"Don't you think we should tell Nobita?" Shizuka said worriedly. "If we act alone, won't...?"

"Shizuka, do you remember that time we played cops and robbers together? (From episode 423 of the Mizuta version of the new anime, 'Catching the Thief Nobita')" Gian suddenly spoke up, "We split into two teams, the thieves won, and Nobita successfully hid until the last second. We even tried to put you on the thieves' side as a spy, but it was no use at all."

"That time, Xiaoshan also played the role of a thief."

"When these two team up, there's really nothing for us to do... It's the same this time. Together, they're each other's match, and with America's firepower, there's nothing to be afraid of." At the crucial moment, Fat Tiger made the final decision, showing absolute trust in his comrade's abilities, "Let them worry about us."

Chapter 96: Locusts Swarm, Leaving Nothing Growing

"Alas----!!"

Watching Hylia soar freely through the air, and hearing her heartfelt laughter and exclamations, Nobita simply breathed a sigh of relief. To be honest, he'd been worried that her long, wavy, sea-blue hair would get caught in the propeller. Luckily, the designer of this future gadget had taken into account the users' wildly varied hairstyles. Not to mention long hair, even someone from the Yu-Gi-Oh! studio could fly without a problem.

Like a child learning to run for the first time, she spread her legs, unable to stop herself from galloping across the land. The sea of ​​clouds swept past her, and the girl turned to the side, stretching out her finger to draw a straight line on this huge white curtain.

"This isn't your first time flying, is it?" Da Xiong turned his head to look at the fire mages who were manipulating wind elements to float in the air and following closely behind. "You look a little..."

"Overly excited?" Hylia pointed to the bamboo dragonfly on her head, her excited smile overflowing. "But this is the first time I've flown without the help of elemental power. The foreigners' gadgets are amazing! Such a small thing can generate such strong lift."

"Doraemon told me that the bamboo copter works not on a propeller, but on anti-gravity. If it were a propeller, it would have ripped a person's scalp off long ago," Nobita explained. "It seems to read human brainwaves and change direction accordingly."

"Doraemon?" Hylia paused for a moment, a subtle change in her tone.

"Yes, Doraemon. Doesn't it sound like a human name? He's a robot from the future, my best friend." Nobita always becomes talkative when talking about Doraemon. "You might be quite surprised when you see him. He's round, with hands and feet, and even his head. He's blue, and although he's a cat-shaped robot, he doesn't have ears. But you absolutely can't call him a tanuki (raccoon dog), he's very particular about that. By the way, Helia, you don't have 'tanuki' here, do you?"

"Nobita, is the Doraemon you're talking about...?"

……

Above the sea of ​​clouds, a series of dense, intense vibrations shattered everything.

What first caught their eye was a vast, emerald-green ocean, surging towards them like a giant, churning wave. Nobita was immediately bewildered; he couldn't understand how this was happening. Why was there a green ocean in the air?

Dekisugi's shout brought him back to reality.

"locust----!!"

"Protect Lady Hylia!"

The accompanying fire mages quickly reached an agreement, their feet barely touching the ground as they rode the hurricane to the front of the group. As they sped forward, the metal rings hanging from their chests jingled, and everyone simultaneously spread their arms wide. Soon, flames gathered in their palms and were hurled out like projectiles, tracing graceful arcs through the air.

"boom----!!!"

As the first salvo ended, countless sparks exploded in the sky, and the green locusts, each the size of a hound, emerged unharmed from the flames. Their scorching tails grazed their exoskeletons, yet they remained gleaming as new.

"Damn it, the Mother of Insects... has evolved these pests once again!" A fire mage gasped, his tone indistinct as if he were either cursing or giving a command, and shouted, "Wildfire—!!"

These two words seemed to possess a magical power; the moment they were uttered, they dissipated into the boundless wind high in the sky, causing all the fire sorcerers to come to a halt.

"My lord, are you sure?" a fire mage asked. "This is a forbidden technique that has been prohibited for a hundred years..."

"If you're willing to let them tear your body apart, I don't mind!"

……

In the face of life and death, there is not much room for hesitation. All the fire mages readjusted their formation, arms outstretched, and immense elemental power manifested around them. So much so that their fiery red robes were enveloped in the wind, fluttering wildly.

"Thump—!!!"

This time, eerie green flames erupted from their palms, but from a distance, they no longer appeared as flames, but rather as a highly concentrated green liquid. However, this seemingly gentle green torrent exploded with unimaginable force the moment it came into contact with their bodies.

A green mushroom cloud exploded amidst the swarm of insects, each burst of flame enough to create a massive, earth-shattering blast! A shockwave carrying intense heat swept in, dispersing the surrounding clouds. This time, they truly witnessed the locusts' exoskeletons melting like wax under the even higher temperatures, their final, mournful cries swallowed by the flames of the explosion.

The smoke temporarily obscured everything.

The fire sorcerers looked at each other, marveling at the terrifying power of the wildfire.

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.

"Hiss..."

The next moment, the chirping of insects came from the smoke. Green figures emerged again, like arrows flying from the sky, instantly shattering the ranks of fire sorcerers.

"ah----!!"

In ancient times, the passage of swarms of locusts often meant the chilling and terrifying phrase, "a great famine, people eating each other." The fear of them was deeply ingrained in everyone's genes.

"Wildfire! Wildfire—!!"

Some locusts were still trying to resist, and he did succeed; the wildfire spewing from his palm did indeed melt a dozen or so more. But to this green ocean that blotted out the sky, this loss was negligible. As he killed those dozen, a hundred, a thousand of his kind followed suit, using their bodies to block the flow of the wildfire.

One.

All it takes is a single insect to bite off his hands and tear them to pieces before he lets out his last scream.

……

"..."