Nobita's Time Heist

Narniadis looked at him intently and said, word by word, "In this girl's heart, you hold a very, very heavy place, so..."

"No matter what the future holds, cherish her, okay?"

Chapter 305: I wish to call you the Great Peace Chess Saint

"Tick!"

A stinging sensation ran down his face, like a mosquito bite. Dekisugi instinctively raised his hand to wipe it, but the bright red blood on his palm suddenly startled him. Startled, he realized the warmth in his nose wasn't an illusion; it was real nosebleed. He reached up to wipe it, but his head suddenly felt cold, and he sank into a dizzy spell. Sensing the abnormality, Dekisugi didn't dare delay. He quickly tilted his head back, pinched his bleeding nose, and gasped for breath; even the air seemed to smell of blood.

“I retract my initial contempt for you, Earthling Hideaki Izuki. As a species that evolved from Australopithecus, your intelligence has surpassed that of most of your kind.”

Indeed, one must be strong to succeed. Once you possess certain qualities, even your opponents will have to look at you with more respect.

At this point in the exchange, Hundred-Eyed King's posture had changed from the initial lazy and relaxed manner to a more upright and serious one. Once he adopted this posture, it meant that his opponent was stronger than he had imagined, and he would need to be a little more serious to defeat him.

In fact, he thought he could take down Dekisugi within the first hundred steps, swallow his soul as a dessert, then quickly gather his team and wipe out Nobita and his group, ending this farce.

At least in the first seventy moves, he did successfully launch a relentless, raging offensive, squeezing Izumi's white stones into the corners. With a little more effort, he could have broken through his opponent's defenses in one fell swoop; 100 points even thought that ending the game so quickly would be boring. Perhaps out of consideration for a newcomer, the veteran intentionally slowed down the structure, focusing on securing Black's rear supply lines, giving Izumi a little breathing room.

Five rounds.

This was the path to survival he had carefully calculated. Dekisugi had to make a valid choice within these five rounds for the game to continue. It wasn't that this would guarantee a comeback, but rather that only by demonstrating such intelligence would Hyakume be willing to continue sitting opposite him and compete as a "player."

To his surprise, the boy opposite him made the right choice in just three rounds.

Until this moment... what was originally a chessboard the size of a round table has now expanded into a dense array of "divisions," all of which have retracted from that unassuming little vase. It's like Doraemon's magical pocket, containing countless chessboards.

The real fun of Demon Chess lies in this: as long as certain conditions for "expansion" are met, other chessboards can be derived from the basic chessboard.

The circular chessboard represents planets, and the square chessboard represents continents. This is like a real universe system where players can explore unknown new worlds and establish foundations within them through various means. Different planets and continents have completely different backgrounds and environmental settings, and some are even inhabited by native forces. Players can, of course, continuously send troops to explore, but this also means that the strength of their main base will gradually weaken, making it difficult to withstand a massive army surge from players who only cultivate one continent.

At this moment, both of them were surrounded by various chessboards. From the outside, they could not even be seen, only a large number of star-shaped chessboards.

"I see. Your strategic objective is very clear: to do everything you can to stall for these 10 hours. From the very beginning, you never intended to win against me. That's why you've compressed all your forces, constantly expanding into new territories, and then using that as a foundation to operate new branch bases... As for the main base, it wouldn't hurt to give me a small share of land, as long as the balance of power between the two sides isn't disrupted, and the base itself can still operate and produce, then you've won."

"..." Dekisugi's nosebleed finally stopped. He wiped the blood off his face, glanced down at the chessboard, and then looked at him expressionlessly.

Unlike the cunning and shrewd Xiaofu, this guy's main strategy is open and aboveboard. You might know exactly what he's going to do, but there's nothing you can do about it. And all the specific strategies he chooses only begin to show results after dozens of rounds. Under this kind of thinking, a monster-level player who is "average in the early stages but becomes godlike in the later stages" is bound to emerge.

The reason why Izumi-san opens up multiple expansion bases is so that if the main base is destroyed, he will still have the ability to make a comeback from the expansion base.

Demon God Chess is a game that closely mirrors reality. In reality, the difficulty faced by the attacking and defending sides is inherently different. Unless a team has a significant lead across the board, once one side is determined to defend, it is very difficult for the attacking side to quickly overtake them.

Looking at the white stones, who had been squeezed into a corner on the circular chessboard but were stubbornly defending themselves, King Hundred Eyes rarely showed an excited smile. He clapped his hands and laughed, "It is a rare thing for a person to know himself. Being able to recognize one's own purpose is already quite commendable."

"They skillfully utilized the terrain and the 'flanking' tactic to surround the base like an iron barrel with minimal troops."

"You've weathered the toughest wave. Now, these previously scattered pieces can be quickly connected to provide you with a continuous supply of resources and production capacity. Even if the main base is besieged, as long as things don't fall apart internally, the newly opened branch mines can still supply you with resources... After planning for so long, you can finally compete with me on the same stage. You really deserve some praise."

"Unfortunately, your mental capacity... is probably nearing its limit, isn't it?"

He glanced at the bloodstains that had dripped onto the ground and congealed into black blood, and sneered, "The more partitions you open, the more you need to think and calculate. The human brain can't handle such a large amount of information. In the end, your race has hardly undergone any significant evolution since its birth. In terms of physiological conditions, I am far superior to you."

"Do you always talk so much nonsense when you're playing chess?" Dekisugi took a swig of his energy drink, his eyes revealing a completely different, aggressive look from his usual demeanor. He said in a deep voice, "If you're going to continue, then make your moves quickly... Even if I burn out all my energy here, as long as I have a breath left..."

I will definitely stop 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.

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

……

Sitting opposite him, King Hundred Eyes clapped with a cold laugh. Although his eyes were still sewn shut, a hint of mockery was revealed in his expression.

"Your courage is commendable, but unfortunately, what you've done is utterly meaningless." He wiped the chess piece in front of him, examining it as if it were a work of art, then pinched it between two fingers and laughed, "You think that by holding me back, you can buy them time?"

"?!" Dekisugi instantly understood his meaning. He was so anxious that he was about to speak when he bit his tongue.

"This is a war, and Earthlings have produced brilliant talents like Mokugawa. But war means allowing all kinds of despicable and dirty means to achieve one's goals. You are still very, very far from understanding this."

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 journey across life and death seemed to have cleared away Nobita's fatigue and sleepiness, leaving him unable to fall asleep. With half an hour until the appointed time, Narniadis and Håkandar began meditating to restore their magic and prepare for the upcoming battle, leaving him with no one to talk to. Looking around, Nobita became interested in the dilapidated temple and decided to stretch his legs, go outside, and perhaps get used to his new body.

"Ka--"

The old wooden door slowly opened.

A giant human head floated silently outside the door, its eyes meeting the head's.

Chapter 306: Flying Head Barbarian

"Face-jumping kill" is a thrilling technique widely used in various horror-themed works.

This technique was rare in early Japanese horror films, where directors focused on creating a sense of terror through atmosphere. Placing incongruous elements in incongruous locations evoked a feeling of the abnormal, yet inexplicable, that lingered long after the film ended. This technique evolved into increasingly sophisticated forms, eventually developing into a distinct school of thought.

However, later, with the entry of American horror films that pursued sensory stimulation into the market, featuring flying entrails, gushing blood, and various R-rated scenes flashing across the screen, box office returns easily surpassed those of traditional, sophisticated horror films. Directors then realized that young people simply wanted a highly interactive and thrilling haunted house. Having realized this, sensory stimulation gradually began to emerge on screen, becoming a cost-effective and quick method.

At this moment, Nobita experienced firsthand the reality of a "face-jumping kill"—thinking he was in an absolutely safe environment, he opened the door and was suddenly confronted with a gigantic head floating in the air. From its facial features, it was impossible to tell whether it was male or female; its mouth was wide open, revealing two rows of sharp, file-like teeth. Perhaps because its face was so large, it even lacked upper and lower lips, and its features had a strong sense of disharmony, resembling a "pseudo-human" from urban legends.

There were too many shocking things to see. For a moment, he didn't know whether to be afraid or astonished. He froze, feeling as if his blood had frozen. The strange head had obviously seen Da Xiong as well, grinning at him, revealing its blood-red teeth, which gleamed coldly. They didn't resemble human teeth, but rather those of wild beasts.

"ah----!!"

It opened its enormous mouth; although it had no neck, its throat was a bottomless hole, and it was about to bite down on Nobita's neck.

"careful!"

……

"Thump—!!"

At the critical moment, a figure shot out from the side, like a cannonball, slamming into the massive head from the side. The sonic boom's Mach rings exploded, sending the figure flying. The figure moved like a nimble petrel, using the force of the kick to spin several times in mid-air before landing on the ground with a completely silent sound. And that short, beautiful, and dashing hair, as blue as amethyst, added a splash of brightness to the dark hall.

Shuten-dōji tilted her head, flicked a strand of purple hair that fell to her temple, and looked him up and down with her usual teasing gaze. "What's wrong, my savior? Haven't seen me in so long that you don't recognize me anymore?"

"You..." Nobita's expression changed from surprise to delight, "How come you've changed back to like this? Where's Rin?"

“That girl is sleeping very soundly. These past few days, I have been attached to her body, which is extremely taxing for an ordinary person. Even if her body is healed, the energy she has expended is undeniable, and only sleep can replenish it.”

She stretched her wrists and ankles, her gaze sweeping over the increasing number of figures above the temple.

"But let's talk about these things later."

A chilling laugh echoed, and the head that had been kicked away earlier flew up again, circling the temple like a bird. Its shape resembled a balloon head from a Junji Ito horror manga, only much more agile, with rolling eyes and flowing black hair, looking like a giant bat from afar. Not only that, more and more heads flew over the walls, floating in the air. This scene was incredibly disturbing, and combined with their ethereal, eerie laughter, it would have been perfect for a horror movie, requiring no editing whatsoever.

"The Flying Head Demon is a blood-sucking monster with little magical power. A true Onmyoji or sorcerer could easily defeat it in a few moves. However, ordinary people have virtually no way to counter it. These creatures can fly and are exceptionally agile; ordinary weapons and arrows cannot harm them... Their habits are similar to mosquitoes, appearing in swarms and feeding on human blood. Unlike me, they are the kind of monster that leaves no room for negotiation; once you see them, you must eliminate them."

"Don't be fooled by their large heads; they're actually empty, only containing the most primal hunting instincts. The fact that they're surrounding us in such large groups means they must have a leader. A monster with considerable power and prestige..."

……

"Crunch—"

The heavy wooden door was slowly pushed open, and jet-black wings, like those depicted by the Grim Reaper, immediately came into everyone's view.

"Oh, isn't this an old friend? Long time no see." Shuten-dōji greeted him with a smile, but a murderous intent was already surging in his half-closed eyes. "Such a big show of force, I can't afford to take responsibility for it."

"I didn't expect you to still be alive..." The Great Tengu folded his wings, his angry face sweeping coldly over Shuten-dōji, Daiki, and the crowd that had rushed out after hearing the noise. "Within the demon realm, there should be no one who can break his technique of killing with his eyes."

"Oh dear, that's ancient history!" Shuten-dōji waved his hand, teasing as if making small talk. "Don't forget, that guy was nothing more than a defeated loser who was forced to run away in the heavens. He only came here and became a phoenix head from a chicken tail, that's all he does to show off. In the end, if he were really as powerful as he claims, would he need to come to this remote planet to act like a tyrant?"

"...Perhaps." The Great Tengu slowly unfurled his wings, and beneath his angry face, a red light seemed to burst forth from his twin pores. "Over the years, the ecology of the demon realm has remained unchanged. This place, which is not large to begin with, does not need two demon kings."

"Hahaha, what are you saying?" Shuten-dōji licked his lips, his tone inexplicably cheerful. "If I beat him, will you stop now?"

……

"In the hundreds of years you've been the Demon King, you established a rule that severed ties with the human world. Because of this, the development of the demon realm has stagnated, all thanks to you. You love humans more than your own kind, and you're more enthusiastic about playing the role of a heroic spirit." His gaze swept over the human companions beside Shuten-dōji, and he said coldly, "Compared to you, the Demon King of Mount Ōe..."

"I would rather make this extraterrestrial visitor my king!"

These words sealed off all room for negotiation. With a wave of his hand, the countless flying barbarians, receiving the command, roared in unison. Like ospreys diving to the bottom, they opened their massive, gleaming maws and descended upon the crowd.

"call----!!"

Its wings unfurled, growing more than ten times their original size in an instant. With a single flap, a hurricane seemed to rise out of thin air. The Great Tengu lightly touched the ground with its toes, and its exceptionally robust wings began to flap, supporting its body and lifting it majestically into the air. Under the cover of its black wings, the wind rose exceptionally fast, whirring and buzzing as it weaved through the dilapidated temple.

"Earthquakes, wildfires, tsunamis, hurricanes, thunderstorms... I am the sum of all natural disasters. For many years before you existed, mortals revered and feared me no less than that of the gods."

"boom----!!"

As if in response to his words, a bolt of lightning flashed out of nowhere, casting a quenched light on his black wings.

"How dare you, a mere ant, look directly at the majesty of Heaven?!"

Chapter 307: One-shot film, isn't that daring?

"boom------!!"

Just as he said, the black wings shook, and the lightning that had formed into branches and swords fell, forming a large net that poured down onto the ground without reservation.

Nobita had seen thunderstorms before, but this was the first time he had ever witnessed a scene where the atmosphere above seemed to be excited, unleashing lightning as if it were on steroids. The lightning element in the air was so abundant that it was visible to the naked eye, and crimson lightning bolts swirled around Black Wing, appearing and disappearing, creating an incredibly terrifying coordinated attack alongside Flying Head Barbarian's invasion.

"Everyone, retreat into the temple!"

Hargunda raised one hand and gently pinched his four fingers together. With a rumbling sound, the surrounding land rose rapidly, forming a stone wall that protected the temple.

"boom----!!"

In the blink of an eye, lightning struck from all directions, instantly piercing through the fragile earthen wall. Despite the ferocity of the attack, Hargunda remained calm and unmoved.

His black robes fluttered wildly in the wind, and his gestures changed from pushing to lifting. With a gentle lift, a continuous stream of earth and stones was pulled from the ground. These earth and stones, taken from the earth, were layered and thickened, like closed flower petals, protecting the temple, its most vulnerable heart, within. Once closed, they formed a natural earth and stone barrier several meters high, enough to envelop the temple. Having done all this, Hargunda showed no sign of fatigue, merely flicking his sleeves with a nonchalant air.

As the earth and stones were piled up layer by layer, the thunderous sound, like drums beating in one's ears, gradually subsided. Only a few fast-moving flying barbarians managed to break into the temple before the protective wall was fully formed.

Realizing the situation had changed and the main force was now isolated, the heads, their expressions filled with panic, turned and tried to flee. Each head was shot down by a single shot from the US dollar, crashing to the ground with a thud. In moments, these large, hole-ridden heads turned to ashes and vanished from sight. This was probably the only happy thing for Da Xiong tonight. Otherwise, leaving these bizarre creatures on the ground, and suddenly meeting their gaze, would have been truly mentally polluting.

"Xiaoshan said that the winged guy is the incarnation of a genius from some ancient will. Did you know him before?" Fatty Tiger patted the dust off his shoulder and asked, "Judging from the way you two were chatting just now, you seemed pretty familiar with each other?"

"..." Shuten-dōji sighed softly. When talking about the past, the flippancy in her eyes would often involuntarily subside a little. "It was a kind of... inexplicable fate."

"Is it that?" Shizuka asked curiously, recalling some stories told by the elders. "Because you are all legendary great yokai?"

"Tamamo-no-Mae, Yamata no Orochi, Ōtengu, and I were known as the Four Great Demon Kings for a period of time. In truth, all I possess is a title in the human world. I might be barely qualified to be a demon king, but in terms of magical power and cultivation, I am far from being able to compare with the other three great demons." Shuten-dōji frowned slightly. "In recent years, I have also become quite close to the Master of another world, and my strategies towards the human world have become more lenient, which has caused dissatisfaction among many demons... Ōtengu is one of them."

"Simply put, rather than letting me, a 'pro-human' faction member, continue to sit in the position of Demon King, he would rather support another powerful demon—even if it's Hundred Eyes from outer space, it would better suit his interests."

"Oh...so he's involved in the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons?" Fat Tiger finally understood the connection. "Before we defeat the Hundred-Eyed King, we have to deal with this guy first. Otherwise, who knows when he'll install a new demon king and plot against the human world."

“That being said, the Great Tengu is no ordinary yokai. In some ancient myths, his identity is closer to that of a ‘demon god.’ He can control all kinds of natural disasters, and if he is even slightly angry, the human world will be thrown into chaos. Mortals worship him out of fear.” Asur bit his right nail habitually when he got nervous. “The magical power he unleashed when he spread his wings just now… was enough to overwhelm everyone present.”

She turned around intentionally to remind Hargunda, "I admit that your technique in using magic is quite advanced, and you broke that deadly spell in an instant. But if the other side is determined to settle the matter with pure magic, it will be very difficult."

If we had to use an analogy, those from the Immortal lineage are like skilled players in escape rooms. They rely on puzzle-solving abilities, clue analysis, and a series of other techniques to perfectly solve the challenges left by the developers, using their superior intelligence to navigate the world. On the other hand, the Great Tengu is more like a brute-force demolition type. When faced with a scenario requiring password analysis, he simply uses a hammer to pry open the safe, gets the key, and escapes.

"Boom————!!!"

A sudden, loud bang shook the ground, causing the beams and pillars of the dilapidated temple to tremble violently, almost collapsing. The crowd was also thrown about by the tremor.

A crack immediately appeared in the earthen and stone wall protecting the courtyard gate, and it looked like it was about to break.

"That move again, he used the power of an earthquake." Faced with the natural disaster, Shizuka couldn't help but look troubled. "No matter what, a secret gadget from the 22nd century can't possibly withstand an earthquake, right? Teacher seems to have said that this is a natural collision of tectonic plates, and the power it can generate is astronomical for humans. Moreover, Japan happens to be located on a volcanic and earthquake belt, and natural disasters are quite frequent."

"Perhaps that's why the ancients created the concept of a 'collection of natural disasters'."

"Boom--!"

Another blow, and the high wall of earth and stone was riddled with cracks, almost collapsing. Perhaps along with it, the morale of the group would also crumble. Faced with this invisible yet devastating natural disaster, even the notoriously reckless Fat Tiger was at a loss for how to respond. Throughout history, this island nation had been ravaged by disasters far too many times; resignation seemed to have become a habit. Even in modern times, with advancements in technology, major natural disasters still claim tens of thousands of lives, and no one seemed to know who to blame.

Only Nobita, who had just escaped a life-or-death struggle, remained thoughtful.

As the battering ram outside the door grew stronger, he finally caught a glimmer of hope and asked, "Even so... he can actually be 'killed,' right?"

"?" Shuten-dōji was practically asking himself a question, his face a picture of "Are you kidding me?" After a moment's hesitation, he nodded. "If you insist on saying it that way... well, fine. Aside from that extraterrestrial visitor, we native yokai are actually another kind of creature that differs from humans. As the myths say, even demons have stories of being slain by onmyoji or famous generals. The same goes for Ōtengu; if you can stab him in the body, he should be able to be killed too."

"But the problem is, can you do it? Before you can even draw your sword or gun, he'll be throwing all sorts of things at you, like earthquakes, wildfires, tsunamis, and hurricanes! Forget assassination, most people can't even get close to him!"

"That's fine then." Da Xiong nodded, a sly smile playing on his lips. "When he comes in later, I need everyone to cooperate with me and put on a show."

Chapter 308: Veteran actor Da Xiong, giving his all!

"boom------!!"

With a single punch, a shockwave erupted from the ground, easily tearing apart the earthen walls surrounding the temple. Amidst the crumbling earth and dust, the Great Tengu's black wings slightly unfurled, a disdainful sneer lurking beneath his angry face. With a wave of his hand, the flying demons in the sky and the yakshas on the ground surged forward, surrounding him like stars around the moon. He used his wings to push aside the stones obstructing his view, revealing a temple almost completely destroyed, which made him burst into laughter.

"To actually use earth-manipulation magic against me? Don't you think that's ridiculous? A single sneeze from me can cause an earthquake that makes the daimyo of all the countries tremble. That level of defense is practically made of paper in my eyes."

"I thought you at least had some dignity as a demon king, but I never expected you to openly ally with humans to deal with your own kind... Hahaha... The mighty Demon King of Mount Ooe actually allowed a mere human who summoned you to become your 'Master.' This behavior is shameful enough! Today is the day you pay for this debt. Face reality, in front of me, you are nothing but a snarling brat!"

"boom!"

Kicking open the wooden door, the Great Tengu coldly barked, "Surrender!"