Nobita's Time Heist

The instant they made contact, Fat Tiger changed his fist to a palm, pushing hard with both palms against a body hundreds of times his size. This time, however, the sensation transmitted back to him was somewhat loose, and the massive body instantly lost its balance. In a series of uncontrollable attacks, tens of thousands of eyes watched the sky gradually recede into the distance. With a deafening boom, like a collapsing mountain, the proud Hundred-Eyed King collapsed to the ground.

"No...it shouldn't be like this. A few apes from a backward planet shouldn't be like this..."

He let out a roar of extreme resentment, instinctively trying to reach his palm towards the sky to grab something, but found that his right hand was firmly bound, and he couldn't even open the gaps between his fingers.

The rising artificial sun cast a bright glow, further weakening the Hundred-Eyed King's ability to move.

The giant snake seized the opportunity, lowered its center of gravity, and slithered like an eel, then launched a fierce attack from both sides!

"Roar----!!!"

A beastly roar.

Eight heads simultaneously opened their enormous mouths, biting into his shoulder, elbow, knee, and back of the neck. Thanks to the triple-time ointment, his internal fuel reserves had been fully restored, but at this moment, he didn't even need to inject venom into the creature. Simply by pressing his mountain-like weight down on it, he was enough to render the creature immobile.

"finally……"

Nobita pulled another silver dart from his pocket and took a deep breath.

Recalling the pitching training Gian gave him when he was a child—every time it was his turn to pitch, Nobita would always throw the ball away, or throw it in the completely opposite direction. This old habit was impossible to correct, but Gian refused to believe it and watched him for a long time before discovering that before pitching, Nobita's wrist would tremble due to excessive tension, making it impossible to generate the springy force of a flick of the wrist.

"It's over!"

Nobita tensed the muscles in his right arm, but deliberately reduced the force in his wrist. This time, he didn't rely on any props. Instead, just like in the last moment of his great adventure in the Demon World ten years ago, he gritted his teeth, flicked his wrist, and transformed his arm into a soft whip, throwing the silver dart with his bare hands in a very graceful posture.

"Whoosh————"

The sharp sound of something cutting through the air was like a death whistle, becoming exceptionally jarring to the ears when amplified tens of thousands of times by our senses.

The deadly silver light magnified in his single pupil.

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.

……

"Hey……"

"Hey! The atmosphere's so lively, don't fall asleep! Let's have a few more drinks!"

A familiar voice roused him from the darkness. At this point, he hadn't yet learned to conceal so many fake eyes while maintaining his human form. The countless eyes scattered across his skin opened simultaneously at the start of the voice, staring warily at the newcomer—a truly unsettling sight.

Simultaneously reflected in the dozens of eyes on his body was a face as white as porcelain. He was like the "Solari" that Hundred-Eyed King had once seen on a certain planet, with handsome features, making it impossible to distinguish his gender from his appearance. He subconsciously assumed that this was another hermaphroditic race. Based on past experience, such people usually did not share his worldview and were quite difficult to communicate with.

Suspicious, he curled up in a corner, as if trying to shut out the noise and laughter around him.

“Nice to meet you, Hyakume. I am Münton Nobi Chiora.” The boy extended his hand to him familiarly, the amber horns on his forehead seemingly gleaming. “I am the vice-captain of the Death Star Pirate Crew.”

Chapter 326: Milton Nobi Kiora

“I am an observer from the Red Ring Pirate Crew.” Hundred Eyes opened his dense array of eyes and sized him up. “I’ve heard of you, Muton… You’re the ‘Supernova’ with an 80 million star coin bounty.”

"No way...it's not as exaggerated as you say." Muton, looking embarrassed, waved his hand with a laugh, as if he weren't the one printed on the bounty poster. "The real expert is our captain. I just followed them, casually gaining experience. I don't know how, but somehow, my bounty has increased along with it... Besides, there's no water in space, hahaha—"

"..."

Most of their eyes were closed, leaving only a few dozen, quietly watching the boy from various angles.

Fair skin. Purple hair. Tall and slender with long limbs, his smile was very relaxed. He didn't look like a free pirate roaming the stars; instead, he looked more like a male model who had just stepped off a talent show stage.

Despite his dry, lame jokes and seemingly harmless demeanor, the wanted posters circulating throughout the broader civilization sphere do not lie. Anyone on the list must undergo countless reviews by administrative agencies to finalize the reward amount, information, and further details before being released as a long-form announcement, reaching every corner of the broader civilization sphere.

Appearing in any place with technological capabilities will immediately attract a large-scale siege. Or to put it another way, once you're on the list, you can no longer stay in the "civilized lands." You can only roam the undeveloped wilderness, which is the price you have to pay for enjoying absolute freedom.

"What does 80 million star coins mean?" Bai Mu said calmly. "As far as I know, even in the darkest black markets, a habitable planet with a complete ecosystem that can be modified at will cost no more than 60 million star coins. The remaining 20 million star coins are more than enough for any kind of modification service you choose. In other words, as long as someone provides reliable information sufficient to bring you to justice, they can instantly upgrade their status and add a habitable planet to their assets."

"Really? That makes my mouth water." Muton smiled noncommittally. "So, when I want to retire, can I turn myself in? Or we can honestly cheat each other out of the bounty. If I work hard these next few years and raise the bounty to another level, then you can report me, and we'll split all the bounty in stars. My request isn't high; you can have four and I can have six."

"..."

"How did you do it?"

"Huh?" Müton hesitated for a moment, tilting his head in confusion. "You mean..."

"Your pirate crew follows the 'small but elite' route, right? Only ten people in total, which is not hard to understand. But I've heard that you've never plundered an unarmed ordinary civilization all this time. Within civilized circles, the Death Star Pirate Crew has always had a good reputation. More than pirates, you guys are more like 'adventurers,' posing no threat to the existing order."

"In that case, there's absolutely no need to set such a high bounty for you, is there? Just let you do your own thing. Why waste so many resources on a bunch of harmless people?"

……

After a brief silence, he saw the boy put down the still-burning wine glass, his smile disappearing, replaced by an indescribable expression.

At the time, Bai Mu was too inexperienced to find a suitable word to describe that expression. Many years later, he finally understood: the glint in his golden eyes was "compassion." It might belong in the eyes of a saintly savior, but it certainly shouldn't be in the eyes of a pirate carrying eighty million star coins.

"Hyakume, why...did you become a pirate?"

He answered another question with a question, but Bai Mu didn't delve into it. Ultimately, it was just a few pirate crews who had bumped into each other on their journey and were having a makeshift party. Once they embarked on this path, they were all men with one foot in their graves. Today they were drinking together, but tomorrow they might be fighting over scarce resources on some planet, and the day after, they might be dead. In this environment, getting bogged down in the secrets of other pirate crews was really pointless.

"As you can see, I am a member of the Tianmu Clan. Nowadays, our clan is an endangered species... I don't want to be treated like a rare animal, locked in a cage for others to watch. Or be bought by a conglomerate and used as an endless dry battery to extract energy from the multiverse."

Seeing the strange look on Muton's face, Bai Mu smiled and said, "Isn't it interesting? Our clan's ecology is just that harsh, and only by relying on the name of [Red Ring] can I avoid these terrible futures."

"Red Ring... Red Ring..."

“I know you look down on us. To be honest, most of the crew on this ship, by your standards, would be scoundrels who commit arson, murder, robbery, and all sorts of evil.” Bai Mu remained unmoved, but the eyes on his body moved around, scanning the crew members behind him who were making a ruckus on the deck and even raising their arms to fight. Suddenly, the eyes disappeared. “There are also some hot-blooded young bastards plotting to sell me for a high price.”

"Is everything alright?" Mülton asked, sounding somewhat worried.

"As long as you are 'useful', as long as you still have value, Honghuan will not abandon me, nor will it tolerate those little brats having designs on me."

"As long as... it's still useful..."

Muton's expression changed slightly; he understood Bai Mu's unspoken message.

The ecosystem on a ship is often closely related to the captain's personality. And on that ship, once someone loses their value, they will be discarded without hesitation. Taking the law of the jungle—survival of the fittest and the strong preying on the weak—to its extreme, this is Blake Red Ring's philosophy of life.

"Are you sad? That's interesting. I've never seen a pirate sad about someone else's affairs before." Bai Mu found it unbelievable and couldn't help but feel more curious about the boy in front of him. "Speaking of which, I've never heard of you before... You have such a high bounty on your head, yet you're completely out of place with us. It's like you just appeared out of nowhere."

"Could it be that you, like me, belong to some rare and precious race?"

"If you insist on putting it that way, it's not entirely wrong. Cherish the race? I guess I could count on that too. No matter where you go, there's only one Muton Nobi Chiola, right?"

"What does that mean?" Bai Mu couldn't help but laugh. "If that's the case, then everyone in the world is unique."

“That’s how it should be.” To everyone’s surprise, Muton nodded seriously, downing the fiery liquor in one gulp. His drinking method was unexpectedly wild; he simply opened his mouth, gulped it down, and that was it, without even savoring it. His throat hissed and billowed white smoke like a chimney.

"Everyone you see is so unique, and that's why everyone's life is equally precious."

Muton gazed at him intently, and at that moment, Bai Mu felt that his golden eyes were clear and bright, like stars in the sky. As he spoke, the entire universe seemed to fall silent.

"Knowing this makes me think twice before taking a life. Nobles and commoners alike are all essentially the same!"

Chapter 327: My Father

"To be honest, you shouldn't have become a pirate. You should have taken the exam to become a priest of the Golden Church. I've heard from people on our ship that there are two particularly popular majors right now, I think it's the Holy Light major and the Discipline major. Once you get both certificates, you'll be a senior priest recognized by the church, and your job prospects will be much better than spending your whole life on a ship."

Bai Mu chuckled and teased, "The only people who would have such thoughts are those who haven't experienced the world and have grown up in an ivory tower."

"But, for some reason, I don't seem to dislike your childishness."

“These are all things my father taught me. He always believed that even with different races and cultures, the universe is still filled with immense love… just like a little child, isn’t he?” Muton cast his gaze toward the starry sky, his expression somewhat melancholy, the longing in his eyes hard to conceal. “He was truly… a very strange person. By our standards, he belonged to a rather weak race. But within him was a force that would never give up.”

"What kind of person is he?" As they chatted, Bai Mu's tightly closed eyes gradually opened, and she asked curiously, "Is the 'Nobi' in your name related to him?"

"You could say that," Muton said, not letting the somber atmosphere linger for long. He quickly clapped his hands and chuckled softly, "Sometimes...sometimes when we have the chance, I'll take you to see my hometown. There are high mountains, tall trees, and a primitive but simple city. From high above, the entire planet's surface is shrouded in clouds—it's incredibly beautiful! Diving into the deep sea, you'll see many strangely shaped animals, almost like random creatures. What I like most is actually flying to this planet's moon, occupying a crater, and looking at Earth from there—it's an absolute bleak view!"

Bai Mu was born in an extremely barren place, more like a temporary outpost set up by human traffickers who roamed the universe than a planet. He had never seen mountains, rivers, forests, clouds, or the unfathomable ocean. From birth, he was a commodity, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, his later life would be bought by a wealthy tycoon for millions of star coins, who would choose between exhibited merchandise and an unlimited supply of dry batteries as his "future."

Without buying, there would be no killing. Perhaps, being born into this world as a rare species is the greatest sin of his life.

The arrival of the Red Ring Pirates changed everything. This exhilarating double-crossing opened up a second possibility for his life.

Even so, Bai Mu couldn't help but feel a longing after hearing Muton's vivid description.

If... if one day I could go to the planet he described, feel the rhythm of the wind on the boundless grassland, and gallop freely, how wonderful that would be.

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.

He also found it strange that these images suddenly flashed through his memory. Hadn't such carefree times been buried long ago?

As the silver darts drew ever closer, King Hundred Eyes finally sighed, resigned to his fate, and closed all his eyes.

Only that vertical pupil suddenly opened at that moment!

"boom--------!!!"

A burst of multicolored energy shot out, striking the silver dart. In less than a second, it shattered the magic attached to it into dust. The outer flame gently licked it, melting it into a ball of silver liquid, which then evaporated into gas.

Fortunately, Nobita reacted quickly, twisting his waist in mid-air to dodge the attack with his bamboo dragonfly at the last possible distance.

But the Yamata no Orochi wasn't so lucky—it was directly above, with nowhere to dodge. Its two heads couldn't react in time and were instantly vaporized by the beam of light without a sound. The remaining six heads were terrified, like wild beasts seeing flames, they turned their heads and scattered in all directions, their eyes trembling as they looked at the Hundred-Eyed King.

As expected, the worst-case scenario unfolded. This crucial "Heavenly Eye" wouldn't simply stay put and let them attack. Like a wasp's stinger, it would remain until the very last moment, even at a high cost, to deliver an unforgettable sting.

The colorful beam of light shooting straight into the sky continued to gush forth without stopping, releasing enormous amounts of energy every moment. Not only that, the light began to gradually fill the Hundred-Eyed King's "skin." These originally dark black liquids began to be filled with seven-colored light, becoming like the shimmering skin of a jellyfish in the deep sea, accompanied by a shrill whistling sound like water boiling.

Judging from the Hundred-Eyed King's expression, this process was certainly not easy—his face was contorted, all his eyes were bulging to the point of almost bursting, and his mouth was wide open, yet only a faint hiss could be heard, as if even the ability to speak had been taken away. Energy continued to overflow, and his body, like an uninflated balloon, rapidly expanded. His hard skeleton, immersed in pure light and heat, had long since melted into liquid. Without its support, the Hundred-Eyed King reverted to a soft-bodied creature, rapidly expanding into a sphere. Watching his flesh first deflate and then involuntarily fill with energy, despite having been engaged in battle just minutes before, seeing this horrific state, Nobita felt no joy whatsoever.

The situation is spiraling towards an irreversible extreme.

“His eyes are not only a weakness, but also a medium connecting two universes. It seems he himself can't control this power well; once activated, it can't be stopped.” Hargunda's tone was heavy; he had already anticipated this worst-case scenario. “His physiology includes a certain ‘energy storage’ characteristic, which allows him to barely sustain himself for a while. If this continues…”

The sudden shriek perfectly illustrated what would happen if things continued like this.

“Buzz——————!!!”

Pure energy from another universe, in the form of light, burst forth from the tens of thousands of eyes covering the body of the Hundred-Eyed King, making it an unstable source of radiation.

In an instant, the ground melted like cheese, swallowing up its last remaining fragment. Moments later, it was pierced by high-energy particle rays, like a flower of light blooming on the red earth, its bright petals scattering in all directions, spreading light and heat. Soon, the earth was shrouded in scorching poisonous gas, and billowing dust swept across everything in sight.

The group had no choice but to ascend, moving away from the potentially deadly environment. Even at high altitudes, the unbearable heat showed no signs of abating. It felt like being in a sauna set to its maximum temperature, with every drop of moisture being baked out of their bodies, leaving them drenched in sweat.

This land is gradually transforming from a barren wasteland into hell.

"They've come this far, and they're still resorting to self-destruction? They're such sore losers." The light from the ground was getting brighter and brighter, and even the billowing smoke couldn't block it out. Fat Tiger had to raise his hand and shield his eyes with the back of his hand to barely see the source of the explosion.

"What will happen if this continues?"

……

“Strictly speaking, it hasn’t truly ‘exploded’ yet. Hundred-Eyed King’s body is still absorbing energy. When his physical body can no longer hold it in and it completely explodes…”

Orochi sighed and shook his remaining few heads.

"It will be the end of us all."

Chapter 328: The End of the World Arrives

"When you came here, you only passed through a summoning circle, right? The barrier between the two worlds is actually much weaker than you imagine. Any yokai with even a little bit of power can freely come and go from the human world. In the days before science was widely used, stories of yokai eating people were commonplace. Some yokai would even bring people from the human world back to the yokai world to enjoy them slowly, thus leaving behind many stories of 'disappearing from the world.' A few hundred years earlier, some skilled Onmyoji could also go to the yokai world on their own initiative."

Perhaps because some kind of radiation energy was emanating from the light, the self-healing factors within the Yamata no Orochi's body were suppressed, and its healing speed visibly slowed down. After struggling for a long time, the two heads still hadn't grown back, making his voice sound like it was leaking air, which felt somewhat jarring to those who were used to it.

"To give an analogy, the human world and the demon realm are like two bubbles stuck together. They reflect each other's details, you could say they are two sides of the same coin. Imagine, if one of these soap bubbles is popped, what is the probability that the other bubble will escape unscathed?"

“Under this blazing heavenly fire, even the most powerful demons will be reduced to ashes. Until this red earth continent is burned through, no demon race will survive. And the next to suffer will probably be the undefended human world… Heh…” He stretched his head and smiled meaningfully, “There were neither ghosts nor night walkers, yet he still achieved his goal in his own way.”

"five minutes."

Hargunda, who had remained silent throughout, slowly descended on his broom, but only extended four fingers (his race was different from humans, and he only had four fingers). "Judging from the magical fluctuations coming from the center of the explosion, the Hundred-Eyed King's physical body can only last for another five minutes at most."

"Is he still alive?!" Suneo silently put on his sunglasses. "I thought he was long gone."

“This race has a very strong vitality. His body is still adapting to this terrifying energy, but whether he is still conscious, I don’t know. I’ve seen the ability to self-destruct before, but this is the first time I’ve seen it on such a massive scale.” Hargunda’s expression finally became somewhat solemn. “Ping Tianqi can’t be delayed any longer.”

"boom----!!"

Before everyone could say more than a few words, the ripples on the ground spread even more violently. Upon closer inspection, it was clear that the earth had been scorched into a liquid state, undulating with the continuous surge of shock waves.

The flickering orb of light expanded nearly five times its original size. The soil, scorched into gaseous form, floated in the air as dust, like oppressive black clouds. Only the flickering colored light and the incessant rumbling sounds could be barely seen within it.

Demon world.

world.

The hope of saving two worlds in one fell swoop is about to be quietly born in this small team of less than ten people.

"Okay." Without saying much, Da Xiong agreed to this crucial task. His brows furrowed slightly, and he nodded. "I'll go."

“I still have the [Adaptation Lamp]. After being exposed to the adaptation beam, I can survive even in real space, so this one should be fine too. As long as I put the [Shield Ball] in my pocket to block the energy impact, I can keep feeling my way down until I see the Hundred-Eyed King’s true form. No matter how distorted it is, the marks left by the graffiti pen will still be there. As long as I stab the Silver Sword into its eye, I’ll be all set.”

"..."

To be fair, the plan sounds pretty good; after going through it once, it at least seems somewhat feasible.

However, those fighting alongside him here are his closest friends of over ten years, who know each other inside and out. Not only does Nobita understand them, but they understand him just as well. At this moment, Shizuka could already hear the feigned composure behind those words. Even Nobita, faced with such an apocalyptic scene, wasn't as brave as he appeared.

Yes.

He's the kind of person whose legs would go weak just walking around a cemetery, so how come he suddenly becomes fearless when it comes to stepping into the apocalypse?