Nobita's Time Heist

……

"You probably thought that banishing it to the universe hundreds of millions of years ago would be foolproof, right? Indeed, given its previous physical strength, it wouldn't have been able to survive in a vacuum environment, so the plan itself is quite reasonable."

"However, during this battle, your robot companion irradiated it with [Origin Technology], causing Feniki's body structure to undergo a tremendous evolution in an instant. Haha... In my opinion, this can be considered a small compensation for its banishment from its home, right? Positive evolution that would take millions of years to accumulate was completed in just a few seconds."

The Seeder looked at Nobita with amusement, continuing his reveal of the truth, "It's just a little bit short."

"With this little bit of foundation, Feniki did not die immediately, but entered a low-energy 'suspended state'. Its physical body began to adapt to the harsh environment at a rapid pace, constantly evolving and giving rise to a completely new form."

"The universe is actually far more dangerous than you imagine, Nobita. There are planets that can melt steel, planets with extremely low temperatures that can freeze water, and high-energy radiation everywhere. You might encounter a ray burst or a quasar exploding as you walk along... In such an extreme environment, it grows and evolves rapidly, taking tens of thousands of years to launch expeditions to other worlds."

"Finally, something that was like a mobile natural disaster to most civilizations was quietly born over the long years."

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.

After hearing Phyllis's story of becoming a god, Nobita was speechless, overwhelmed with emotions, yet unable to say anything.

The cycle of cause and effect, retribution is unhappy.

The sower, still in Doraemon's form, smiled and didn't urge him anything, simply standing quietly to the side, waiting for him to say his next words.

"I……"

“I had no choice. In that situation, if we did nothing, it would probably head towards the town. Birdtopia’s technology is still very primitive and we can’t do anything about it. What if it gets into the city? How many innocent people will be trampled to death? How much damage will it cause? There’s no way to make up for it!”

The sower nodded, seemingly unconcerned about the reason, and simply wanted to hear Nobita continue.

“I have no ill intentions toward Feniki, but... really... many things just happen like this. At that time, we only had this one path to take. Birdtopia is my friend's hometown, and this is the only thing I can do.”

He shook his head, puzzled. "Were we wrong?"

“Of course not,” the sower said with a smile. “On the other hand, it did nothing wrong either; both sides did what they thought was right.”

"But often, conflict doesn't stop just because something is 'right'—that's the most tragic thing. Between right and wrong, a choice still needs to be made, an either-or choice. It has already made its choice, and for such an immortal species, time cannot erase everything. To this day, its desire for revenge is stronger than ever before."

"And you, Nobita?"

Are you ready to make a choice?

……

God's questions are always so daunting, and while pondering how to answer, Nobita couldn't help but start questioning his own heart.

At this point, the options of negotiation, peace talks, and even surrender were completely blocked. Faced with resentment accumulated over hundreds of millions of years, the only thing he could do was to confront it head-on.

The question is, is he ready?

"Treat it as a trial."

"Again?" Hearing this all-too-familiar summary, Nobita couldn't help but recall his ordeal in Key City. He chuckled bitterly and spread his hands. "Another trial?"

That being said, after the Sower explained the whole story, he roughly guessed what had happened. The Crimson God's aggressive combination of attacks was clearly aimed at him. Then again, he was undeniably responsible for how things had escalated to this point; all of its hatred for humanity, when traced back to its source, seemed to stem from him.

This is roughly the highest level of the cause-and-effect cycle.

……

"bite----!"

As he pondered this, the Sower raised his right hand, which transformed into fingers, and flicked it lightly. A drop of shimmering gold flew from the air and landed on his forehead with a soft "plop." Before Nobita could react, it seeped into his skin and dissolved into his body. Nobita hurriedly reached out to wipe it away, but found nothing, only a strange, cool sensation.

"You...you dripped something into my body?" After a few seconds of stunned silence, he realized that his physical body should still be lying on the ground. But the incredibly realistic sensation made it impossible for him to distinguish what it was.

"Nine years have passed since your robot friend left. For mortals, that's a long time. In these nine years, the [Origin Technology], which is powerful enough to change the human world, has been in your hands, but you haven't used it for anything."

The Seeder did not answer his question, but looked at Nobita with utmost seriousness. Because Nobita was now using Doraemon's appearance, the scene gave him a kind of dazed illusion.

It was as if Doraemon was talking to him.

"Amazing, absolutely amazing, Nobita."

"You have used these nine years to prove that you are worthy of the power of Origin Technology, so..."

He extended his round right hand and beckoned gently.

The body flew towards the soul, and with a hum, Da Xiong suddenly opened his eyes. All fatigue was washed away, as if he had just had a long dream. He had slept well and was full of energy.

He was about to fall into the vortex of light.

“My blood of blood.”

Go and complete your trial once again.

Chapter 152: Walking in the Azure Sky

Emerging from the small pond once more, Da Xiong gasped, nearly terrified by what he saw.

The immortals rushed over from their meditative Shadow Sphere to witness this momentous, century-defining occasion, but as people age, they don't like to talk. So, he saw a row of black figures standing there, motionless, their eyes beneath black cloaks burning with an intense, almost predatory gaze, as if they wanted to devour him alive. He was nearly scared back into the pool.

"He actually came back..." Narniadis's face was filled with shock. For everyone here, Nobita's successful return held immense significance.

With a gentle wave of his hand, Morudica used his telekinesis to capture Nobita's body out of thin air, placing him on the ground with utmost care, as if he were some fragile glass vessel.

"Let me make this clear first... I didn't bring back any forbidden knowledge, so please bear with me waiting here." Nobita tried to brush the water off his clothes, but then realized that not a single drop had gotten on them. Having just returned from the Sower's Garden, the damp, chilly air made him uncomfortable, and he coughed twice. "I forgot to ask him how to turn someone infected with dragon disease back to normal, sorry."

“That’s alright. Your safe return is already strong proof enough.” Moludika, who had been as steady as a rock just moments before, could no longer hide his excitement, and his tone began to rise and fall. “For thousands of years, the immortals have meditated here, hoping to glimpse a corner of the afterlife. We have tried almost every method that the magical realm can try, and in the end, we can only speculate that somewhere in the starry sky, there is a place that ‘probably’ collects souls.”

"Until you prove with your actions that that place truly exists... the moment you cross the Spring of Death, all theories will be proven! Our understanding of magic and the world will enter a new phase. The magic system, dormant for hundreds of years, will also undergo a major overhaul."

As he spoke these words, the other immortals couldn't wait any longer. They read each other's thoughts in a way that Nobita couldn't understand, communicating rapidly without any gaps.

After that, the immortals slowly retreated, their long robes billowing into the air as they disappeared into the darkness, eagerly heading towards the Shadow Sphere to begin updating this vast system that had been dormant for nearly a century. They possessed a scientist's quality, though they seemed somewhat cold-blooded, showing no concern for the "guinea pig" that had proven the key variable for them. But, at this moment, Da Xiong had no time to care.

He was still immersed in that series of incredibly astonishing facts.

"As agreed, we now owe you three wishes. Immortals always keep their word." Morudica extended three thin, bony fingers that were clearly different from those of a human, and said in a deep voice like that of Aladdin's genie, "Nobita, please speak."

"Whatever your wish is, we will do everything in our power to help you achieve it."

……

"Nobita?" Narniadis whispered a reminder, "You can say it now."

"..."

desire.

Wish?

Upon closer reflection, Nobita suddenly realized that he didn't seem to have that kind of thing at all.

There's almost nothing he can't get with his secret gadgets, but that's precisely the problem—he doesn't actually want anything. Ever since he used Doraemon's "All-Purpose Wish-Granting Machine" to wish for not having to take the exam, only to oversleep and miss it, ending up being punished by standing in the hallway, he seems to have developed a psychological aversion to those two words.

Ultimately, he didn't take this risk for the sake of his wish, but to find a way to turn dragons back into humans. However, the sights and sounds he witnessed in the Garden were so overwhelming that he was momentarily stunned and completely forgot the most important thing.

The thought of racking his brains to figure out what he wanted seemed absurd to Nobita.

Counting on their fingers, this adventure related to the time-traveling heist has lasted for almost a month, nearly setting a record for the longest adventure in history. Rather than an "adventure," it's more like they've been drawn into an event, and as the mystery unfolds, they uncover more and more problems. Looking back, they realize that they themselves were the ones who created all the messes in the first place.

Then again, what was my original purpose in embarking on this journey?

"Doraemon..."

"Hmm?" Moludika was probably hearing this syllable for the first time from him and was taken aback. Even an immortal who possessed vast knowledge of the world had things he didn't know.

"Can I meet Doraemon?"

"Ah...he...he's a friend of mine, but recently, I've received some bad news about him." Nobita visibly became flustered at the mention of Doraemon, and his expression wasn't as clear as before. "Strictly speaking, he can't be considered human. Doraemon is a robot, but I've always felt that he's no different from a human. He's my best friend."

"He is from the 22nd century. Now, this heist, the path to that era, including the secret tools, has been strictly controlled, supposedly to minimize the impact from other eras. Unless there are special circumstances, even the Time Police cannot go there on their own initiative."

Moludika was silent for a few seconds, seemingly considering the feasibility and uniqueness of this wish.

"Simply put, you want to see someone you can theoretically never see again, right?" Morudica rubbed his hands together, looking ready to go all out. "Let me confirm again, Nobita, 'seeing a long-lost friend,' is that your first wish?"

"Is this all right?" Narniadis asked doubtfully. "Nobita's friend isn't from this universe, is he? Besides, if he's not from this era, how are you going to..."

“You have been gone from us for hundreds of years, Narniadis.” Morudica slowly brought his hands together, which were forming a hand seal, and then suddenly separated them!

"bite----!!"

There was a crisp sound.

Ripples of magic rippled around him, fluttering his robes. In no time, a series of azure halos gathered around him. Tadpole-sized runes moved within the halos, and strange light emanated from his body. The once hard ground now felt soft and bouncy like jelly, undulating up and down.

“During your absence, the magical world has undergone many changes. Some technologies that were once just fantasies have now become reality... such as the [Azure Sky Walk] that I am currently performing.”

"Walking in the Azure Sky?!" Narniadis's voice suddenly rose an octave.

"What's that?" Nobita was puzzled, but he sensed that what was about to happen was no ordinary event—a strong wind blew up, and at the center of layers of azure halos, Morudica exuded a god-like aura. With this pose, no one would doubt his ability to grant three wishes.

"The legendary summoning magic, as long as the summoning conditions are specified enough, can summon any individual through the [Azure Sky]." Narniadis swallowed hard, emphasizing his words as he repeated, "Anyone."

……

“Describe your friend’s characteristics,” Moludika said in a deep voice. “The more accurate, the better!”

Chapter 153: Doraemon?

"Doraemon, born on September 3, 2112, at the Matsushiba Factory, weighs 129.3 kg and is 129.3 cm tall. He is a blue, earless, cat-shaped robot designed for childcare. He loves dorayaki, hates mice, and has dated many cats. He was originally yellow, but due to an accident, all the paint on his surface peeled off, revealing his blue base color. He has a pocket on his stomach filled with incredible futuristic gadgets. He is mine..."

At this point, Nobita found himself speechless. His relationship with Doraemon was difficult to describe using conventional "status".

Forget about blood ties, they're not even basic carbon-based life forms—they're worlds apart. Yet, the two live under the same roof, eat together, sleep together, and spend every ordinary yet precious day together. Not only Nobita, but all the children in town consciously or unconsciously realize that Doraemon is "different" from them, completely different from his appearance to his inner self.

But what does this matter?

"He should have joined the Apairon Foundation after returning to the 22nd century, and he appeared on the Santa Maria sailing in the Atlantic in 1492 and in western America in 1899. He was the one behind these two time-traveling historical alterations."

"Doraemon couldn't possibly do something like this; there must be some compelling reason... I need to have a serious talk with him!"

That being said, when the blue figure actually appeared in the light, his tongue seemed to be tied in knots, and he couldn't utter a single word.

If you think about it carefully, how long has it been since we last met?

The scene of that day's parting was deeply etched into Nobita's mind; no matter how much time had passed, it would become incredibly vivid whenever he recalled it. At the farewell dinner on their last night, the table was laden with their favorite dishes on exquisite tableware. Something similar had actually happened once before with "Lies 800." Having rehearsed it beforehand, everyone's emotions remained stable when the actual parting arrived.

They shared their last meal together, both solemnly and simply. This time, however, there was no all-night chatting, no "medicine to keep you awake," and in addition to the usual "goodnight," they said "goodbye." No one shed a tear; it was as if this was just another ordinary day among countless mundane routines.

"The sun will rise again tomorrow," Doraemon said to him with a smile. "Nobita doesn't need me anymore."

The next morning, as the sunlight streamed in, Nobita, for the first time, pulled back the covers before it was time to get up.

Doraemon left quietly without disturbing anyone. He tidied the closet meticulously, leaving all the posters still on, perhaps to preserve as many memories as possible for Nobita. He didn't get up immediately, but sat in the chair for a while, watching the morning light gradually spread across the town, as all sorts of sounds filled the air. A gentle breeze blew in through the cracks in the window, inexplicably stirring a new thought within him.

From this moment on, a completely new life begins.

"Doraemon..."

Before he could finish speaking, the blue robot cat slowly turned around.

Those dark red eyes, so different from what he remembered, cut off the rest of his sentence.

Same head.

Same color.

The same bell.

The same beard.

But almost the instant their eyes met, Nobita was 99% certain that this wasn't the person he knew. His feelings shifted from gratitude to wariness, and he stopped in his tracks. The reason he hadn't yet taken out his gadget was purely due to that 1% uncertainty.

"I heard... you're the world's fastest gunslinger?" The robot cat in front of him was only slightly surprised for the first few seconds, but soon his dilated red eyes returned to normal, revealing a cold smile that Doraemon would probably never have. "Why don't you draw your gun?"

……

Even the voices... are so similar?!

Sensing that things weren't going as smoothly as expected, Narniadis drew a cross in the air with one hand. The light shifted, transforming into a gleaming one-handed sword, and silently retreated behind Nobita, ready for battle.

"who are you?"

"Ha, that's an interesting question. I should be asking you guys." Doraemon made a "shrugging" gesture, but unfortunately, he didn't actually have shoulders, so paired with his cold laugh, it looked rather comical. "You suddenly called me out without even telling me what you wanted to do?"

"You..." Nobita pondered various possibilities, but still couldn't figure it out. Could it be that, besides Doraemon, there was another cat-shaped robot with its paint peeled off and its ears chewed off, who also happened to work at the Apairon Foundation?

"Is the result different from what you imagined? What a pity, the magic [Azure Sky Walk] is very energy-consuming to use even once."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions changed. Even Morudica, who had been quietly acting as a spellcasting machine, sensed that something was amiss. He had no choice but to brace himself and use his X-ray vision spell on the unknown raccoon creature before him, trying to see what kind of monster it was.

The result, however, was far beyond his expectations.

"They're going to use such magic to find me, they must have something urgent to ask me..."

Doraemon squinted, and a chilling sharpness flashed from his pupils in a dark red light.

"Nobi Nobita?"