Nobita's Time Heist

"【Banana Leaf Fan】—!!"

He swung the fan and gave it a heavy swipe.

"boom----!!!"

The scattering hurricane dispersed the black sand. Having broken free from his opponent's grip, Nobita's body was once again gripped by gravity, plummeting rapidly. Tree branches and leaves acted like speed bumps, cushioning most of the impact. So much so that when he landed hastily, Nobita only felt a slight pain in his back where he hit the ground; his arms and legs were perfectly fine.

Meanwhile, the black sand slowly descended from the sky, coalescing into human form once more. The two clashed in the air, their battle having already taken them from inside the city to outside. In this era, there were many undeveloped mountains, and the forests surrounded by them were deathly silent. After their initial exchange, both realized the other was no pushover, and thus, the upcoming second round of combat became even more cautious.

"Perhaps I underestimated you, Nobita. You are more agile than you have shown before."

"Unfortunately, those props are ultimately just external things. If you always rely on external things, one day you will..."

Halfway through his speech, his prophetic intuition kicked in again, and he suddenly had a very ominous premonition. Looking at Nobita again, he saw that he had silently stood up, holding a heart-shaped piece of soil in his hand. He broke it in half, easily crushed it with his palm, and threw it into the soil. These fragments, like liquid, instantly dissolved into the soil and disappeared.

His intuition told him that he had just made a big mistake—he shouldn't have let him complete the action so easily.

A powerful aura emanated from the ground beneath their feet. This place, which should have been the backdrop in the framework of mystical arts, was now radiating the aura of "life".

A moment later, a rustling sound came from the depths of the forest. Trees, leaves, flowers, vines, thorns… the mountain began to change. More and more leaves fell from the sky, and a vibrant life force surged beneath the soil, as if awakened by something. Moreover, the source of this energy seemed to strongly repel him, the outsider. The mountain was radiating a powerful aura, trying to drive him away.

This time, even the seasoned occultist finally showed a look of astonishment.

"Are you... a druid?"

Chapter 242: Both sides felt this round was in the bag.

The "Soil of the Heart" is a prop that holds a deeply etched memory for Nobita. He shared beautiful memories with the back mountain, and to this day, it remains Nobita's safe haven. Humans cannot remain forever detached from society—a truth that most people might take a lifetime to grasp, but Nobita experienced firsthand at a very young age.

Breaking a piece of whole spiritual soil in half and scattering it on the ground can awaken the "soul" of that land. This is a very mysterious concept, and Doraemon's gadgets are not uncommon; they are a fusion of science and mysticism. Nobita didn't really know what he had awakened on the mountain behind the house that day. If he wasn't mistaken, it was probably something like a mountain spirit.

Just as he had guessed, the spirits of nature held no liking for Nostradamus, who had fallen into evil ways. Countless vines pounced on him in an instant, lashing out like the tip of a whip, cutting through the air at the speed of a sonic boom, and lashing him hard across Nostradamus's body.

"boom--!!"

With high-frequency force applied over an extremely short distance, thick vines encircled him from all sides, forming an impenetrable net. Nostradamus seemed to want to say something, but before the first syllable could even dissipate, he was utterly routed by the dense, rain-like whips.

Amidst a series of rather intense hammering sounds, nearby rocks were shattered into fragments, and dust billowed up, obscuring all visibility. Perhaps some power was imbued within the vines, allowing them to genuinely "strike" Nostradamus's body. While not completely shattering him, the sensation infuriated him, like mosquitoes constantly buzzing in his ear, their location impossible to pinpoint by sound. He couldn't believe that after so long detached from human form, he would still experience such a disgusting sensation.

Eight hands clasped together, and black flames gathered in their palms, then shot out with a low rumble of thunder.

"Thump—!!!"

The flames, which should have been scattered, converged like beams of light under his manipulation. No matter how evolved a plant is, it is still just a plant; high temperatures and fire remain its natural enemies. The eight hands spread outwards, unleashing beams of black flame that easily wiped them away, reducing them to ashes. Having cleared these minor obstacles, Nostradamus turned his gun back, only to suddenly sense an even greater threat than before.

Nobita was still the same Nobita, at least outwardly unchanged, standing there as ordinary as ever. But, just as he was being struck by the giant vine whip, something seemed different... From the perspective of a mystic, his aura suddenly surged, becoming much more dangerous than before.

After searching with his eyes, he finally found that one unique difference on Nobita.

On his right wrist, he wore an exquisitely crafted sky-blue bracelet, inlaid with a rather spectacular gemstone.

Reach out and gently rub the surface of the gemstone twice.

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!"

The summoned being, with just a snap of its fingers, caused the black flames that had been attacking from all directions to vanish suddenly, like playing cards in a magician's hand.

Not only that, but even the element Nostradamus was kneading in his hands vanished without a trace. His eyes widened in disbelief. For a mystic of his exceptional talent, using elemental magic was as effortless as eating and drinking after his powers awakened. This was even more true after he abandoned his human body and transformed into an evil spirit.

This is the first time a spell has been interrupted before it has been fully cast.

"Is there such a thing?"

Unconvinced, he gathered his four hands together again, attempting to summon a fire elemental. Despite his abundant magical power, only scattered small flames appeared in his palms, as if his magic had suddenly lost its power overnight.

……

"You really like to mess around, Nobita, going and provoking such a powerful enemy again." The Fire Spirit hovered in the air, dangling its tiny feet made of bright orange flames, looking like a sweet potato as tall as a person. It looked at Nobita with a playful expression and teased, "If you had taken that attack head-on, you would have been vaporized."

"You still remember me?" Nobita was quite surprised and exclaimed, "The last time we met was two thousand years later!"

“I think I explained to you before what elemental life is all about?” The Fire Spirit drifted over slowly. “Unlike humans, we don’t have a ‘brain,’ so the way we store memories is naturally different from yours. For ‘me,’ this moment and what happens two thousand years from now are actually happening simultaneously. As long as there is a corresponding element as a medium… memories can be shared.”

"You..." Nostradamus tried to analyze the composition of the Fire Spirit, but the immense elemental power emanating from it made him squint. In astonishment, he couldn't help but ask sharply, "What did you do to me?!"

"Can't you feel it yourself?" The Fire Spirit leaped down from the air, sparks flying with each step, and approached step by step, sneering, "I 'forbid' you from using the power of fire element. Such a small matter, I can still make the decision."

"A guy like you can just throw away your human identity at will. No matter how talented you are, don't even think about using my power!"

"??!"

Nostradamus's expression suddenly became quite interesting, a mixture of anger and, more accurately, betrayal from some inexplicable source. As a highly skilled and exceptionally talented occultist, there was no reason he wouldn't know. The only explanation he could think of was that Nobita had used some futuristic gadget to forcibly choke him.

"Heh...hehe...I never expected you to have such abilities. You truly are a born savior, Nobita. The world is indeed far beyond my imagination." He sneered a few times, and the surrounding black sand gathered in one place, causing his body to swell a few inches, becoming even larger.

His voice also changed, becoming deep but distorted and indistinct, sounding like something a living person could make.

In the next instant, his palms clenched and opened again, and amidst a series of crackling sounds, lightning, ice crystals, mud, and flower petals flowed continuously within them. A vast amount of elemental power swirled around him, forming a barrier that was now visible to the naked eye. Crimson light flashed in his pupils, and his teeth became sharp and razor-sharp. In that instant, Da Xiong felt as if he had completely shed his "human" exterior and become something no different from a wild beast.

"For centuries, I have been exploring and excavating elements, both visible and invisible, and to date, I have identified at least dozens of them. The framework of elemental magic used by modern mystics was built by me hundreds of years ago."

"boom----!!"

As soon as he finished speaking, just as he had said, nearly a dozen different elemental cores bloomed behind him, exuding a menacing aura. To a mystic, such an action was probably akin to a weapons display. Clearly, he was quite proud of the "weapons" he possessed.

"Pfft..." Nobita took a deep breath, trying hard not to let a laugh escape from the corner of his mouth. This was probably the most joyful moment for both sides during the battle.

"So what if fire element is banned?!"

"Even without it, I have ten thousand ways to blast you all to ashes!"

Chapter 243: You're so lucky!

"boom----!!"

A flash of lightning, a barrage of fire arrows, and a dozen beams of light rained down from the sky, which Nostradamus scrambled to dodge, only to crash to the ground and trigger a series of massive explosions. He could only tumble and dodge in the air like a fish caught in a blast, twisting and turning to deflect these dense elemental attacks one by one. This undoubtedly required extremely high-level movement skills; the slightest carelessness, and if he were hit by even one of them, he would be met with a saturation bombardment like a net from heaven and earth.

……

Even if he's not very bright, at this stage he can basically figure out that he's been tricked by Nobita.

The boastful words spoken earlier were like boomerangs, piercing his own body—that guy had planned it all along!

At first, he remained calm and collected, using various items to maneuver around me, maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too distant. In game jargon, this was called "playing cat and mouse." The fire spirit he summoned also tended to be defensive, seemingly without any desire to attack. In this back and forth, when I was teased to the point of losing patience and decided to take the initiative to end the battle with a saturation elemental attack... that's when I truly fell into his trap.

The moment he summoned the numerous elemental cores, he finally awaited his opportunity and began frantically rubbing the bracelet on his wrist. For the past two minutes, Da Xiong had narrowly escaped being hit by elemental attacks multiple times, yet he had managed to resist using it even once. As a result, in Nostradamus's eyes, the bracelet's threat was diminishing; he had been successfully fooled, no longer wary of this potential threat, and unleashed his ultimate attack without restraint.

Within three seconds, Nobita was surrounded by summoned elemental spirits. Just as Nostradamus himself said, he was one of the founders of modern elemental magic and knew a wide variety of elemental spells. This was, in a humorous way, a testament to that. Basically, every element Nobita could imagine was there; it was a complete array, a whole family of them standing around him, staring blankly at Nostradamus.

At that moment, the prophet wore a rather "painful" expression, which was hard to imagine appearing on a well-known old urban legend.

It's the 22nd century, so outdated contracts of servitude are unlikely to be used anymore. But generally speaking, these summoned elemental spirits will still obey some of the summoner's commands. In particular, some of them are hot-tempered and eager to destroy something, and this evil spirit, exuding malevolent energy and clearly not a good person, is a perfect target.

"Alright, brothers and sisters, snap out of it. It's rare for everyone to be here, and our mission is actually quite simple..." The Fire Spirit, being the first to be summoned and possessing the most seniority among the many elements known to humans, naturally assumed the command position. With a wave of his hand, he roared, "Give him a good beating!"

"Ah ...

……

at the same time.

Snowflakes landed on my shoulders, like the gentle caress of a lover.

Da Xiong turned around as if sensing something, and when he saw that familiar face as bright as moonlight, he was as if he were held back by some great force, and for a moment he was speechless.

The snow sprite stood quietly behind him, watching him, her bright eyes slightly lowered, as if she had many things to say. But all her words ultimately amounted to a soft sigh, "Human bodies are so annoying, aren't they?"

"It's only been a short time, how come you've grown so much..."

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.

"when----!!"

Finally, Nostradamus, who was dodging in mid-air, was stopped by a thick "wall of sound," which was undoubtedly the work of the "Sound Spirits."

In that instant, all his previous efforts were destroyed—the essence of the sound element is "vibration," and it struck him like a blow to the head, shattering his spirit body. Less than a second after he hit the ground, a barrage of elemental attacks rained down from the sky, earth and rocks flew up like raindrops, the earth crumbled, and his figure was submerged in the massive elemental attacks, melting into fragments.

A barrage of elemental attacks crashed against his face, and it was only at times like this that he began to envy Asur's shield magic. That magic had its merits, but mainstream mystics never considered it "magic," and without treatises on it, it remained unstudied. Nostradamus was accustomed to saturating his attacks with massive amounts of elemental magic; in his view, as long as the opponent was destroyed before they could even make a move, defense was meaningless.

However, at this moment, most of the magic he was good at had been banned by Nobita. He could only do his best to gather his magic power and cover his body to form a barrier. He didn't even have the strength to launch another attack on Nobita. Flames, light cannons, lightning, rock spikes... just dealing with these elemental attacks had already exhausted his strength.

"What kind of profound magic is this that can command the elements themselves to fight for him..."

Nostradamus sensed that, due to the banning of his skills, he could only unleash his most primal and raw magic for offense and defense. He was originally a character with a strong mechanical system, but now not only were all his mechanics disabled, but his skills were too. The current mana consumption was so high that every basic attack drained his mana bar; even with ample reserves, he couldn't withstand this drain.

"laugh!"

He had only been distracted for a moment when a light-forged blade came hurtling from a distance, utterly devoid of any skill, its force so great it sent bricks flying, piercing through his magical defenses. A terrifying tearing sound rang out as the lightsaber pierced Nostradamus's heart.

"Woo..."

Yang's pupils contracted slightly; the injury from this attack was far more terrifying than he had imagined. Before he could even catch his breath, several more spears formed of light tore through the air with a sharp whistling sound, piercing his back from multiple angles. Like stabbing a fish, they pinned the elusive ghost firmly to the ground.

Nostradamus could hardly believe it. He laboriously lowered his head and saw magic rapidly flowing out of the wound. To him, this was like blood flowing from his body; once it was all gone, this spirit, bound together by hatred and resentment, would cease to exist.

"It's over... I don't even know what to call you anymore. It's obvious you haven't been human for a long time."

The Fire Spirit gestured with its eyes, and moments later, the blades forged from ice crystals and light were placed on either side of his neck, crossing slightly at an execution angle.

"He clearly possesses unparalleled talent, yet he has fallen into this predicament; it is entirely his own fault."

"Any last words?"

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……"

Nostradamus slowly raised his neck, his crimson eyes piercing through the many elemental spirits to look at Da Xiong. Even though he was driven to the brink of despair, and it was only a matter of time before he completely dissipated, he didn't seem to care much. Instead, he shrugged his shoulders and beard, and sneered.

"Last words...last words..."

"Nobita, do you know why you've become like this, and it's not because of anything else..."

"It's just because you're incredibly lucky."

Chapter 244: The power reactor hurts so much...

This was clearly not the time for reminiscing. Even though she had a thousand things to say, the snow fairy forcibly suppressed her emotions and obediently stepped back. She remembered the last time she had dragged Nobita to play with her, which had caused him a lot of trouble. A fever was just a minor matter in daily life; with such a big situation now, she could naturally distinguish between what was important and what was urgent.

and……

In front of so many elemental spirits, it would feel awkward to act too intimately. Elemental spirits don't have an age limit; they're practically family. In front of all those distant relatives, even the warmest feelings have to be temporarily restrained.

But... the more she tried to suppress it, the more fiercely the throbbing flames in her chest burned, especially when she looked at his back—it had been almost ten years since she last saw him. The boy who had once been so naive had become steady and reliable, with the features of a man beginning to emerge. Even though she didn't have a heart, she felt a burning sensation in her chest, as if something was about to burst out.

"Strange, really strange." She touched her cheeks and forehead in disbelief, muttering, "How can a snow sprite feel hot?"

……

Nobita showed no intention of backing down. Instead, he slowly stepped forward, staring intently at the other man, his presence commanding. In fact, he never shied away from communicating with others, not even the various bosses from his previous adventures.

Unless encountering someone like Odorom or Demaio, whose races are so different that they cannot understand each other at all, he would not directly use a tool. Perhaps it was Nostradamus's past experiences that gave Nobita a glimmer of hope for him. In addition, he was surrounded by many elemental spirits at the moment, so he took the initiative to step forward and make one last attempt for the ideals he had always upheld.

"Lucky? Me?"

He pointed to his face, chuckling with a hint of self-deprecation. "You're the first person to say that. Everyone around here knows I'm incredibly unlucky. On my way home from school, I'll inexplicably get hit by a baseball, or bitten, or even hit by a car. As for just how bad my luck is, Doraemon even tested it with his gadgets. It's probably like... if all my bad luck were added together, it would probably be enough to save all of humanity."

“Perhaps.” Nostradamus smiled noncommittally, liquid magic gushing from the wound and splattering on the ground like blood. “Your fate is indeed a bit more unfortunate than most people’s, I can see that. But that’s not what I meant…”

"Even now, at this point, do you still genuinely believe that this matter will have a happy ending, just like everything else you've experienced before?"

Nobita paused for a moment, because he realized that if Nostradamus hadn't pointed it out, he wouldn't have been aware of this thought that was quietly growing deep inside him—he wanted to offer salvation to everyone in distress, even his enemies were among the "everyone" here.

"Have you ever said that you are a person with a high level of empathy? Well, if I had to describe it, it's like..."

"The kind of person who rejoices for the happiness of others and grieves for their misfortune."

Years later, one night, as Shizuka agonized over the most important choice of her life, her father offered this assessment of Nobita. Little did he know that time and causality would become an ouroboros in Nobita's life, and these words, spoken by him, would resonate deeply with nine-year-old Nobita. To live up to this weighty expectation, Nobita spent the rest of his life striving to move in that direction.

Be a person of conscience.

Be a better person.

But... this conscience, at certain times, can turn into a heavy burden.

"Resonating with a specific object is almost standard practice for mystics. But you, Nobita, can resonate with such a broad world... If you are properly nurtured, your future achievements will probably be no less than mine."

"What a pity! Such a rare talent has been wasted on other humans, and you've even developed deadly habits."

He even leaned forward, pressing the two elemental weapons against his neck, just to make closer eye contact with Nobita.

“You feel sad for the misfortunes I have suffered, and therefore, subconsciously you hope to give me ‘redemption,’ just like you reached out to that helpless cowboy trapped on the edge of the times. You like the feeling of giving others redemption, like a benevolent god expressing his favor to humanity. Yes… that’s why I say you are a rare lucky person.”

"You have this idea because every good thing you've done in the past has ultimately had a good outcome."