Nobita's Time Heist

"Maybe……"

……

A commotion in the distance interrupted their conversation. It sounded like something had exploded, followed by panicked screams from the crowd that grew louder as they approached, freezing both negotiators at the table.

Asur, who had been watching the spy satellite screen intently, switched between several channels, his expression suddenly changing. He quickly nudged Shizuka twice with his elbow. Mira, sitting opposite them, suppressed her curiosity, stubbornly keeping her bottom firmly in her chair to avoid running over and watching with them.

"Buzz...buzz..."

The cordless phone vibrated; each of them was equipped with one of these gadgets for their adventure to the animal planet. Shizuka answered without hesitation, and as soon as she put it to her ear, Nobita's voice came through the receiver, almost piercing her ears.

"Shizuka? Shizuka—!! Are you alright?!"

The Great Archives was a solemn place, and now that everyone was gone, it was even quieter. In contrast, Nobita's voice was so loud it seemed like it could lift the roof off, and the worry and anxiety in his voice were palpable, revealing his deep concern for the girl.

Mira, sitting opposite, paused for a moment, raised an eyebrow, and gave a gossipy look, as if to say, "Oh, I see." Asur sighed almost imperceptibly, as if he had expected this, and, holding the spy satellite screen, moved to the other side.

"Nobita? I...I'm fine, no need to shout so loudly..." Shizuka hurriedly tidied her hair, then realized it was just a receiver and she couldn't see his face at all. Her face flushed red, and she covered her cheek, which felt like it had a fever. "Over there..."

"You renovated the city's main library, didn't you?"

Nobita seemed to lean forward, because in those few short seconds, a near-boiling-down cacophony of shouts and screams assaulted Shizuka's ears. The girl immediately realized the gravity of the situation; Mira's prediction had likely come true—they were indeed fleeing. Moreover, judging from the sheer scale of the commotion, it was probably not just a handful of people trying to escape.

They need help!

“I used the [Invincible Turret].” Realizing this, Shizuka’s tone became serious. “I also used the Copy Mirror to increase the number and installed them in the four directions of the Great Archives.”

"An invincible turret?!" Suneo's voice came from not far away. For some reason, upon hearing those four words, his legs seemed to tremble. "As expected of Shizuka, she actually dared to touch such a dangerous thing. She's much more daring than I imagined..."

"It seems the firepower should be just enough." On the other end of the receiver, Da Xiong pondered for a moment and said in a deep voice, "We'll be there in about two minutes. On my signal, open the four gates: east, west, south, and north. Use the invincible turrets for cover fire and have everyone enter the Great Library in an orderly manner!"

"Wait...wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait!" The situation took a sudden turn for the worse, and Asur jumped up from the sofa in shock, uttering several "wait"s in a row. "Everyone? Are we going to let them in? We just managed to stabilize the situation here, and we were just negotiating!"

"The situation has changed! The Mother Insect has broken free of her seal and will soon unleash her entire swarm!" Da Xiong's voice came through the small receiver, decisive and resolute. "As fellow humans, we can't afford to waste time!"

Chapter 111: The Sword of Truth

"boom----!!"

The bright flame, like a spearhead or a sharp blade, pierced through the giant centipede's second head in one strike. The flesh and blood covering the hard shell vaporized instantly, and with a thud, the massive body collapsed to the ground. Apart from numerous limbs still twitching instinctively, it had completely lost its vitality and aggression.

The Fire Spirit, however, did not relax. It knew that the real problem with this enemy, with whom it had fought for a long time, was not how many enemies it killed, but that she could create an endless army at any time.

As long as she wants.

Dealing with the strange insect didn't take long; in just a few dozen seconds, countless insects crawled out of the gap. They were like machines produced on an assembly line, identical in size, appearance, and even the barbs on their tails. One after another, though not arranged in an orderly square like a human army, it was immediately clear that they were a single entity, an indivisible whole!

Among the dense swarm of insects, their queen—the one who hadn't basked in the sunlight for who knows how many years—was gathered.

It's hard to say whether she's still human. Having spent too long in a place without sunlight, the part of her that once belonged to her has long since vanished. So much so that when the Mother of Insects saw the blue sky again, she was somewhat taken aback, but even more so, confused. For a long time, "breaking the seal and regaining freedom" had been her obsession, and now, that obsession had been so easily fulfilled.

She is free.

But what happens after that?

"Long time no see, Narniadis." The Spirit of Fire was not impolite; in order to buy more time for his people, he chose to use words to try to calm his opponent down.

“Ha…Hal…” The girl, who once possessed the beautiful name “Narniadis,” now known as the Mother of Insects, looked confused. “Halgunda…”

"I'm glad you still remember my real name." The Fire Spirit nodded slightly to her, hovering above the sacred ground, searching for a favorable position. "How long has it been since we last met? Perhaps several hundred years? Over these years, your mental state has steadily improved, and I am very pleased..."

"You...threw me underground, leaving me to rot away, bit by bit, in a place without sunlight, rain, or air." The next moment, the vengeful girl transformed back into the "Mother of Insects," baring her sharp fangs in hatred. "Remember?"

"To be precise, there is definitely still air, just not very fresh," the Fire Spirit said in a deep voice. "To be even more precise, the one who threw you deep underground and sealed you forever in sand and dust was not me."

“Yes, I remember, a descendant of King Sinbad.” The Mother of Insects narrowed her pale eyes slightly, uttering venomous syllables, “But… you lent him power, you promised his descendants the elemental power inherent in their blood, to become the jailers here! So that this land would weigh on my head for generations to come! Do you deny all of this, Hargunda?!”

"..." As the old story was brought up again, a hint of emotion appeared on the face of the Fire Spirit, which was made of flames.

“You don’t know what you’re doing.” His tone grew increasingly heavy. “Your mind is deranged, yet you possess such a powerful talent…”

"Talent?" The Mother of Insects seemed to have heard something horrifying. She was initially incredulous, then sneered, raising her hands. A layer of translucent crystal clusters immediately climbed up her arms. "You call this talent?"

"Immortality, impeccable defense, physical abilities far surpassing those of humans, and the ability to customize an invincible Zerg army at will. Simply sitting high in the nest, a slight thought is enough to devastate a vast area... Yes, this is talent, a talent unattainable by mortals." The Fire Spirit said in a deep voice, "Unfortunately, such talent has fallen into your hands."

"We must be prepared, by any means necessary, we must strengthen our military..." The Mother of Insects was already lost in her own world, muttering to herself, "They will be here soon."

“Those things you’re talking about never existed in the first place.” The Fire Spirit enveloped himself in bright flames, transforming them into countless shimmering shooting stars. “You’re insane, Narniadis.”

"Really? Maybe, but..."

Narniadis, the Mother of Insects—two distinct identities clashed fiercely in her mind. When they merged, a brief moment of clarity appeared in the girl's eyes, but it was quickly filled with prejudice and hatred. "I... I really... saw it!"

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.

"Don't push, don't push! Line up and go in one by one. Everyone will have a place to rest!" Actually, Xiao Fu wasn't sure if the large library behind him could really accommodate so many people, but the situation was special, so he could only tell Da Hua first.

As the Mother of Insects broke through the seal not far away, he, who was a wanted criminal just a quarter of an hour ago, was now brazenly using a bamboo dragonfly to direct the evacuation from the west gate of the Great Library.

This wasn't the first time he'd taken on this kind of job, and he handled it with ease and skill. Under his command, the fleeing crowd managed to avoid any stampedes. When things got really crowded, he would use his mechanical arm to grab the troublemakers and lift them into the air.

"The people stranded at the west gate have almost been evacuated!"

"East gate closed!" Fat Tiger's loud voice came through the cordless phone.

"The main entrance is closed..." Asur's tone was somewhat suspicious. "The main hall is almost full; there's not even a place to stand. Are they really going to cram everyone into the Grand Archives?"

……

"Boom————!!!"

As the insect swarm approached, a dark gold vehicle suddenly emerged, its hood opening to randomly transform into a reliable number of missiles. In the blink of an eye, they were launched one after another, drawing dazzling trajectories in the air before precisely striking the relentless insect swarm, carving several large holes in their surface with expanding fireballs.

Drifting through the air and adjusting his angle, Meijin steadily dodged the flying cockroaches with sharp claws and teeth that pounced on him.

"This should be the last batch." Nobita, wearing a "Helpful Person's Hat," looked back at the family sitting in the back row, who looked bewildered. "You live right next to the Holy Land, didn't you hear anything?"

The family looked utterly bewildered, as if they knew nothing of what was happening outside, living in their own little world. Following the guidance of the "Helper Hat," they burst through the door to find the family making some kind of broth for dinner—no amount of explanation could convince them. Finally, America couldn't stand it anymore and rolled through the door, forcibly stuffing them inside her body, thus saving them just before the insect swarm arrived.

"There are always some people who live in their own world, and in a sense, that's a good thing," Meijin commented as she sped along. "At least they can live a very simple life."

"It's definitely a good thing that you can talk, but..." Nobita couldn't help but complain amidst his busy schedule, "This voice is so weird! It's like listening to someone seriously reciting lines from a radio drama!"

"Anyway, it won't be any worse than Fat Tiger's singing voice." Mei Jin's tone was slightly helpless. In the time it took to say a few words, the car body had already soared high over the gate, taking the shortest path through the air, and flew into the church-like triangular roof of the Grand Library.

The final rescue was underway, and the four invincible turrets finally demonstrated their power, firing simultaneously.

The overwhelming barrage of artillery fire acted like an invisible hand, forcefully halting the surging insect horde!

Chapter 112: Nobita's Classic Pre-Battle Speech

"Have you heard? The Mother of Insects has broken the seal?"

"Before that, something seemed to have happened at the Holy Land. I heard it was related to the Lan Clan..."

"I saw it clearly, nine pillars of fire rose at the same time! Perhaps this is the reason, a miracle has once again descended upon the Golden Land..."

"The Mother of Insects has nurtured 100,000 insects underground. Once they break the seal, even those with nine rings will be powerless to save them!"

Rumors and whispers spread through the hall, devouring people's hearts like fear itself. Just as depicted in all myths, this was a secluded, self-sufficient little world. However, such a cozy life also meant that it was almost powerless against changes in its internal environment.

The population of Golden Land is insufficient to support an organization with governmental functions. Ultimately, it doesn't need that level of organizational power, as there aren't that many affairs to handle. Everything is determined by elemental affinity; the larger rules the smaller, like a sturdy pyramid that has stood for millennia.

When the Mother of Insects shattered the seal, turning everything upside down, the old order quickly collapsed.

Clearly, the people here are not ready to step into a new era.

"Thump—!!"

"Thump—!!"

"Thump—!!"

……

The artillery fire never ceased, each strike feeling like a hammer blow to the hearts of the people. Each blast sent shivers down the spines of the displaced masses. Realizing their predicament, a sense of utter helplessness overwhelmed them. Crowded like sardines in a can in the cramped library, even the most powerful elemental magic couldn't alleviate their predicament. Their only hope lay in those familiar, long, sea-blue hairs, their heavy gazes fixed upon them.

This was probably the first time Hylia had felt the weight of her responsibility since taking over. She looked around somewhat hesitantly, and most of the glances she met were filled with avoidance. There was nothing she could do; no one had ever encountered such a situation before, and naturally, no one could offer any advice.

She swallowed hard, took a few steps forward, and reached out her hand to the terrified people as if she were taming a kitten or puppy.

"Everyone... everyone, don't panic. These are difficult times, but they won't last long. We will seal the Mother of Insects once more..."

"But there isn't even a toilet here."

"Lady Helia, my child was stepped on and injured when he came in. He needs first aid and medicine!"

"If we can't go back..."

Such voices are relatively mild; at least they are making their demands directly—although Hylia doesn't know how to meet them for the time being.

However, under these extreme circumstances, the terrifying aftereffects of the pyramid-structured society are gradually becoming apparent.

"When can we finally go back?" Anxious shouts began to rise from the crowd. "How can they make us share this place with these inferior people from below the fourth ring road?!"

"It's not like anyone wants to be with you guys." Under pressure, powder kegs that had been suppressed by the previous social order were quickly created, and someone immediately retorted, "And you 'Ding-Dang' people (a derogatory term for elementalists of the fourth ring and above, implying the sound of multiple metal rings clashing together) haven't made any contributions either. When the Mother of Insects broke through the seal, didn't she still flee in disarray?!"

"At a time like this, what are you putting on airs for?! Do you think anyone's going to feed you?"

"Keep your tongue in check, you piece of trash below the fourth ring! If you don't need it, I can pull it out for you in one go!"

"Let's see if your fireball is as fast as my blade, Dingdang!"

……

The argument grew louder, and the tension intensified. The social hierarchy, previously defined by elemental affinity, was now forcibly confined by external factors to a cramped space where even stretching one's legs was impossible. All the pent-up friction and anger from the past were released in full force.

In the scuffle, some had already drawn their weapons—most of them were below the fourth ring. Compared to the higher-ring elementalists, they outnumbered them and had an advantage in the crowded Great Archives. Before you could even summon your elementalist, a knife was already piercing your body.

Hylia looked around in surprise, as if she wanted to say something but didn't know where to begin.

"boom--!!"

Gunshots can always calm people down in the shortest amount of time.

Surrounded by his friends, Nobita picked up the souvenir Arthur had given him—a Western cowboy revolver from the 1899s—and fired a shot into the air, quickly attracting everyone's attention.

The noisy scene immediately fell silent, all eyes fixed on the foreigner. Suspicion, disgust, hatred… a multitude of emotions pierced through their eyes. In this isolated place, xenophobia was perfectly normal. Some still connected the current calamity with the foreigner, and in a sense, that wasn't entirely wrong.

“You don’t like me, even though we’ve only spent less than 24 hours together, but that’s clear enough.”

"But the next battle has nothing to do with your personal likes or dislikes; it's all about one thing!"

Nobita held up one finger, looked around, and said, emphasizing each word, "Survival!"

The band, creating atmosphere, begins their accompaniment, starting with the violin and crafting the grand and majestic music reminiscent of a Hollywood blockbuster narration. Indeed, the power of music is boundless; even when caught in a predicament and fraught with conflict, most people are drawn in by the music, pondering the two words Nobita uttered.

survive.

Years of calm can easily make people forget, which is actually a difficult thing to do.

"To be honest, I have already clashed with the Mother of Insects twice. The first time was before we even entered the Golden Land, when she attacked our camp with burrowing insects; the second time was when I was showing your Lady Hylia the flying device, when she dispatched an army of locusts to launch an air attack on us."

The background music became slightly more intense, as if to emphasize the fierceness of the two chases.

And he did succeed.

Regardless of their motivations, everyone's attention was indeed focused on Nobita.

"I also gained some insights from my battles with her... Our opponents are a unified whole. Even with their large numbers, they can simplify complexity under the control of the Mother of Insects. Each individual no longer has its own desires and can make any sacrifice for the sake of tactics without hesitation. I have personally witnessed them enduring the wildfire unleashed by the warlocks, sacrificing their own bodies to create opportunities for their teammates behind them to attack, without even a moment's hesitation!"

"This is a unique characteristic of the Zerg, one that we cannot learn, and I do not wish for anyone to learn. Because we are human, and humans, when faced with disaster, will display something far more noble!"

"To survive, we must unite! We must unite like the Zerg, without distinction. Forget all the past superiority and barriers, because if we don't do this, when the last line of defense falls, the swarm of Zerg will rush in and tear us to pieces! In the sand, we will soon rot away and only bones will remain."

The music began to grow somber and oppressive, like an invisible boulder falling into everyone's hearts.

"By then..."

"It doesn't matter how many iron rings are hanging on someone's bones."

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.

Dekisugi stood below the stage, looking at Nobita from afar as if he were meeting him for the first time.

"What's wrong, Xiaoshan?" Xiaofu asked curiously, "You look like you've seen a ghost."

“No… I’m just a little surprised, Nobita-kun…” Dekisugi hesitated for a moment before choosing his words, “He doesn’t seem like such an eloquent person usually.”

"Him? He's nothing yet." Fat Tiger waved his hand, looking completely unsurprised. "That kid's always been good at giving pre-battle speeches."

"Do you believe that even if the Mother of Insects were to break in the next second, he could still rally a large group of people to charge up with him the very last second before the door bursts?"

Chapter 113: The Armored Fortress of Secret Tools

"【Dimensional Roller】—!!"

(One of Doraemon's spatial gadgets, the roller can be used indoors to push along the edge of a wall, causing the entire wall to move backward and increasing the interior space. However, from an external perspective, the building's area and volume remain unchanged. Any narrow house can be transformed into a four-bedroom, one-living-room apartment using the roller; if one doesn't mind the effort, it's even possible to expand the interior to the size of a palace.)