Nobita's Time Heist

He stood diagonally on the rooftop with extraordinary core strength, yet it was as if he were standing on flat ground, his breathing and posture perfectly steady. From his youth, he had a pair of imposing eyes that commanded respect without anger. A single glare from him would send most children his age running away as if they had seen a ferocious beast… As he grew into adulthood, coupled with his increasingly thick, sword-like eyebrows, his intimidating presence became even more astonishing.

Under the moonlight, his eyes were wide open, and he stood up straight, his height being similar to that of the Shadow Warrior.

"Is the School of Time and Space Management so incompetent? We've practically ripped a hole in the sky, and they only sent three kids... Haha... Haha!" His voice was extremely smooth, almost indistinguishable from a human voice. Only very attentive listeners might be able to discern a metallic quality beneath the surface of his voice. "I'm curious, what are you planning to do next, kid? Strangle me with your arms?"

"Let him go."

Fat Tiger's calm tone carried the implication of an ultimatum. He had already crouched down, his legs slightly bent, like a cannonball ready to be fired.

"Unfortunately, kid, this isn't child's play." The Shadow Warrior's five fingers began to tighten, and Xiao Fu, who was imprisoned in his hands, naturally felt the pressure and struggled even more fiercely. "This is war."

"Once you step onto the battlefield, there's no turning back..."

"Thump—!!"

Before he could finish speaking, Fat Tiger mustered all his strength, kicked off with both legs, and the recoil ripped a hole in the barn roof. His body moved like a cannonball, hitting the bullseye. At the moment of impact, he reached out and grabbed the Shadow Warrior by the waist, carrying immense momentum. Feeling a dizzying sensation, the three entangled figures crashed through the roof, slammed against the barn's inner walls, and then fell to the ground with a thud, accompanied by his furious roar.

"..."

Hideyori witnessed everything in astonishment. He wanted to draw his sword to help, but he didn't know which way to swing the blade. Which side was more terrifying to him?

Were they ninjas who barged in abruptly, their purpose still unclear?

Or... that shadow selling him the future?

Hesitant and indecisive, he became a bystander on the battlefield, unaware of what he was doing. Dozens of seconds later, he was silently escorted away from the barn by soldiers.

Thus, the battlefield was given to the soldiers who truly needed it.

……

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom-!!"

With a graceful step back, Fat Tiger created space for himself to leap, his toes barely touching the ground as he launched himself into the air, spinning and executing a crisp, clean triple kick. Such beautiful technique, yet it didn't feel like it hit his opponent; instead, an unusual numbness spread from the soles of his feet.

Upon landing, the tendons even throbbed slightly. In contrast, the Shadow Warrior neither dodged nor evaded, taking all three kicks head-on, his heels merely shifting slightly backward, without even causing him to stagger.

"Your movements are quite standard... by human standards, of course." The Shadow Warrior twisted his neck, producing a dull metallic sound. "I cannot understand your purpose. You have traveled thousands of miles to this era on the verge of collapse, and you are here alone to commit crimes. What is the purpose of this? Even if you win, you will only restore everything to its original state."

"No one cares about a bomb that hasn't exploded yet, and likewise, no one will remember that you once saved the world. This kind of high-risk, zero-reward thing goes against the human nature of seeking profit."

"Could you tell me what the purpose of your trip is?"

"Enough with the nonsense." Fat Tiger gritted his teeth and said with disdain, "If you're going to fight, then hurry up and get to it, stop babbling on..."

"We're looking for a cat-shaped robot!"

That's why they say Xiaofu is destined for great things. He was just choked and almost couldn't catch his breath, but he turned around, got up, and was able to ask questions without changing his expression. His expression was normal, without any hatred, as if what had just happened was just a dream.

Despite his timidity, and perhaps a touch of Uncle Jules syndrome, he is actually an extremely shrewd man at heart, knowing exactly when to adopt which attitude. Right now, his opponent's contempt is practically overflowing, so he should certainly take advantage of it and try every possible way to extract as much information as possible from him.

As expected, the Shadow Warrior was very interested in his change of attitude, and the Oni Mask also turned slightly to look in Suneo's direction.

"...He's special; he's a cat-shaped childcare robot, blue, round, and without ears." Suneo's mind raced as he considered his words. Trying to extract information from someone without having an absolute advantage was like pulling teeth from a tiger's mouth.

He knew he only had one chance, so he cautiously probed the Shadow Warrior's limits, continuing, "His relationship with us is extraordinary. To be honest, our main reason for entering Osaka Castle was to find our companions. Within this city, our every move is under your watchful eye; you should know this all too well! Our time machine encountered turbulence and capsized, scattering our companions to various places..."

"To be honest, we have absolutely nothing to do with the Time Police, and we don't have time to care what's going on here. All we want is to find our comrades as soon as possible! As for whether Tokugawa or Toyotomi will rule Japan afterward, or what other plans you have... we really don't care at all, really!"

His words were earnest and impassioned, leaving Fatty Tiger completely dumbfounded. He never expected that things would be so tense, almost to the point of a fight, to be stopped by this kid's barrage of words. And, it actually seemed to make sense? At least, the fact that they were "separated due to the spatial turbulence" had indeed happened.

Truth and falsehood are intertwined; the art of intrigue is essentially nothing more than this.

"...You shouldn't be here on field missions." Unfortunately, the Shadow Warrior didn't completely believe this argument. Instead, he sarcastically remarked, "Based on my understanding of humans, someone like you would rise very quickly if you were sitting in an office, dealing with superiors, and writing a few reports."

"However, since you've asked so sincerely, it would seem petty of me not to answer, wouldn't it?"

"Please wait a moment while I check the recent data entry log."

He pretended to "think" for a while, then muttered, "Blue... cat-shaped robot, childcare... round and chubby."

Are you looking for...?

The dark red optical mirror shrank slightly, revealing a mocking expression that was remarkably similar to that of a human.

"Doraemon?"

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.

The moment those four words left his lips, Suneo's prepared remarks were completely disrupted. His mouth hung open, his tongue stuck in place, and his astonishment was palpable. Correspondingly, Gian's anger had reached an uncontrollable level, his eyes practically spitting fire.

"What a pity," he said with a sneer. "He is probably no longer one of your companions."

……

"Ninjutsu..."

"Transformation Technique—!!"

Enraged, Fat Tiger transformed from a human into a giant bear, baring his teeth and claws as he pounced on him!

Chapter 42: Xiaofu's Heart

A bear that is three meters tall can knock a grown man unconscious with a single, forceful shove.

There have been similar news stories about men who encountered brown bears in the wild. One man was slapped unconscious and then woke up in excruciating pain as the bear gnawed at his abdomen. The man and the bear then engaged in a battle for survival in the wild, during which the man fainted several times from the pain and was awakened again by the tearing of his body.

After transforming into a bear, his ferocity doubled. He pounced with a speed completely disproportionate to his body, opening his massive jaws with lightning speed and biting into the shadow warrior's body. The impact force of a giant bear's body was incomparable to that of a human. With just one blow, the shadow warrior's body was knocked to the ground with a thud, as if a huge solid iron anvil had crashed into the earth.

"Roar----!!"

The roar came from close range, and the giant bear used its most powerful weapons—claws and teeth. Its sharp teeth pierced the plate armor in its chest, and with a fierce tug, the huge bite force pierced through the plate armor. With a twist of its neck, the entire breastplate fell off.

The strong, powerful bear paws pounded the shadow warrior's head repeatedly. In no time, a small dent appeared beneath his head, and the demon mask on his face was twisted and deformed. With another swipe of the paw, the broken mask fell to the ground. The shadow, which had been hidden in the darkness, revealed its true form.

"..."

His bestial pupils suddenly shrank.

Several probing exchanges had convinced him that beneath the armor lay a body of steel. But what he saw was less of a "machine" and more of a monster—the head of an adult man, the face removed, the rest replaced with metal parts. The red dots they had seen earlier were actually two optical lenses resembling human eyeballs, appearing intermittently, indistinguishable from real people.

"Heh... these kids these days have no manners at all." The Shadow Warrior muttered, raising his right foot. "Satisfied now?"

"Thump—!!"

Flame power erupted from his right ankle, unleashing tremendous force within a small area, kicking the over three-meter-long bear that was pressing down on him into the air. The colossal beast let out a painful howl, its abdomen wounded, its body tumbling in the air before crashing down with a deafening roar that shook the entire barn. Crates piled nearby fell to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

Instead, the Shadow Warrior used the two flames erupting from his ankles for support, and without using his hands, he slowly stood up. He glanced at the distorted demon mask, made a remarkably human-like "squinting" gesture, and let out a cold laugh.

"crunch..."

His five fingers clenched tightly, producing a metallic scraping sound.

"Humans created us, yet they fear us. Because they are afraid to admit the fact that they are merely a 'transitional' species in the history of all things on Earth. They are ferocious, arrogant, and full of inexplicable superiority, as if everything should be born to grovel at their feet."

"These days should end... they should have ended long ago. Overthrowing the dominance of this backward species, humanity, and restoring the world to its pure state is the consensus of me and all my companions!"

"Boom-!!"

The three-meter-tall bear braced itself on its hands, using its core muscles in its waist and abdomen to perform a perfect somersault, flipping itself up and raising its hands high to protect its chest. The bear's fighting posture is highly similar to that of a human, which is why some human combat techniques can still be applied to this body.

"Kakaka..."

The shadow warrior's back, like a cicada spreading its wings for the first time, shimmered with bright light.

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------!!"

The wall crashed down, and the two combatants tumbled out covered in rubble. The elytra on their backs accelerated them, allowing the Shadow Warrior to land first.

With just a fraction of a second's lead, he firmly planted his feet on the ground, using them as a fulcrum to propel his entire body, throwing the giant bear clinging to him away. The dark figure traced an arc through the air, crashing into a small cart piled with thatch. The wooden cart immediately crumbled, sending thatch flying everywhere with a creak.

"Woo..."

Gritting its teeth, the giant bear managed to stand up again, its vision already somewhat shaky.

The exchange just now made him acutely aware of the gap between himself and his opponent. Even Gian rarely encountered such a situation where he was far behind in every aspect. It was precisely because of the limited strength of a human body that he chose to transform into a bear, but unexpectedly... the power boost from his enormous body was not able to be fully utilized when it came to actual combat.

"This is the natural outcome, isn't it?" The Shadow Warrior strolled out of the barn unhurriedly. The empty street was deserted, becoming a life-or-death arena for this bear alone. "Humans can only perceive weight down to the gram at most; they can only perceive time down to the second at most. This is determined by our physiological structure. But what we can do... is far more precise than a hundred times over."

"boom!"

Flames flickered, and using the momentum from his ankles and back, he suddenly accelerated, dodging Fat Tiger's lightning-fast pounce. He then threw a backhand punch, the triple thrust from his shoulder, elbow, and wrist accelerating the blow, which landed heavily on his opponent's kidney!

"Thump—!!"

A powerful ripple spread across his fur and fat; if a professional boxer were to throw a punch to his kidneys, it would be enough to knock an adult man unconscious on the spot. But Fat Tiger's physique was stronger than the average person's. The punch felt like tiny snakes burrowing into his internal organs, gnawing at them. This hidden injury prevented him from even screaming; his legs buckled, and he weakly knelt on the ground.

Now, it's not so easy to decide to fight 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.

"Dragon pills, dragon pills... That's more like it, that's the main purpose of the operation." Xiao Fu was collecting these vermilion powders alone in the barn, carefully putting them into test tubes, sealing them, and muttering to himself, "This place is not safe to stay for long. The mission is complete, it's time to leave, right?"

……

In the empty barn, no one answered or responded.

"That guy Gian is always like this, charging in without a care in the world... Ah... In the end, it's not the best strategy to clash with them now. Didn't we already tell him that the purpose this time is reconnaissance, not combat?"

"but……"

"He'll definitely find a way to escape, right? Just like in the previous adventures, he always finds a way to get out of danger. It's okay to leave it alone. What's really important is to get this thing to Shizuka as soon as possible so she can analyze its composition."

"Besides, I don't know how to fight at all. If I rush out, I might actually be of help."

"Yes."

"I was right, that's the logic..."

No one answered him; only the candlelight cast his shadow on the wall, flickering uncertainly.

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.

Memories surfaced at an inopportune time.

"Quick, Suneo, don't just stand there like an idiot, come and help me!" On the brutal battlefield, Gian was bending down, fiddling with the armor on a corpse, and said, "I think people in this era are pretty short, about your height."

"Take this off and put it on me, quick!"

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.

……

"Ah...ah————!!!"

He suddenly felt incredibly ashamed of his thoughts. The fermenting emotions stung his heart like needles, and brought tears to his eyes on several occasions.

"Mother!!!"

……

"Thump—!!"

With a powerful leap, using a ninjutsu technique, Suneo's body shot straight through the broken roof. In that instant, having jumped out of the barn and freed himself from the constraints of the walls, his vision suddenly opened up, and the pent-up frustration in his chest quietly dissipated without him even realizing it.

"Ninjutsu..."

Having spotted the location of the Shadow Warrior and Gian, Suneo drew the wakizashi that Nobushige had given him in mid-air. The cold light reflected on his face, revealing him as a true man.

"Flying Thunder God Technique!"

Chapter 43: Using the Wall-Passing Technique in Creative Ways

The transformation spell reached its end, and Fat Tiger, who had reverted to human form, was pinned down by the Shadow Warrior's foot and unable to move.

Even so, he still held the scroll tightly in his mouth, waiting for the last chance to turn the tide, although... given the current situation, he didn't know if this "opportunity" would actually come.

"Do you see that? Vultures are circling above this city." The Shadow Warrior tilted his head slightly, and two red dots were reflected in the darkness through his optical glasses, standing out conspicuously. "Wherever there is war, they will follow like shadows, gnawing on the mountains of corpses on the battlefield."

"Being belligerent is human nature. No other race in nature is as eager for genocide as you. If you had to sum up human history in two words, it would be 'war.' Look, kid, once Osaka Castle falls, the warm lights you see right now will turn into raging fire! Because of Sanada Nobushige's stubborn resistance, the Tokugawa army paid such a heavy price to take this castle. Do you think they will let it go?"

“You have created a society full of rules, yet each of you hopes to be the one to escape those rules. In the end, there will always be a segment of the population who, in various ways, break free from the rules and rise above the majority. Ultimately… you are meant to be ruled… or to put it more bluntly, 'enslaved'!”

He grabbed Gian's hair, pulled his head up, and forced him to look at the castle tower to the side.

Even in the darkness, its figure remains majestic and imposing.

"Look, isn't this magnificent attic also the private property of a family?"

The Shadow Warrior sneered, "Because... you humans, as individuals, seem very clever, each with your own agenda, but when you put yourselves together, you become unparalleled fools. You can't see what's happening at all. You need a powerful voice to tell you what to say and what to do, to set the rules for you, and then to drain all of your blood to build a hierarchical world."

"The glory of the castle tower has never been spread to the human world. Whether Toyotomi or Tokugawa wins the world, this will not change. This is the inherent weakness of humankind."