A Different Doraemon World

At this point, Rim and Connie had finally calmed down, thanks to Karen. If she hadn't stepped in, who knows how long those two would have continued their chaos.

Seeing that everyone was quiet now, Shizuka began to speak:

"We Atlanteans are a race that emerged shortly after Earth's formation. In addition to being able to use mana, our senses are far more refined than humans'. Because of this, our perception of the surrounding world is incredibly deep; this deep sensitivity to the world around us has led us to perceive something others might miss: the gaze of the sun. From the very beginning, we've recognized the sun as a living entity, not merely a celestial body.

Although its light is warm and grants life to all beings, we've always felt its malice. It seemed angry and bored when we thrived in peace, and delighted when we struggled against the harsh environment of Earth. If I were to describe the sun's personality, I'd say it's like a cruel child—thriving on sorrow and suffering while despising tranquility and leisure."

"Does that mean the Sun sees life on Earth as its toys? And that it wants to destroy the Atlanteans because they love peace? No, something doesn't add up here…" Doraemon folded his arms, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.

"So the sun wants to destroy humanity because it finds them…boring?" Kelly furrowed her brow, skeptical.

"Not exactly." Shizuka shook her head and continued, "Although humans are slowly changing now, they still possess many… flaws that it seems to enjoy. The Sun doesn't want to destroy humanity because it's bored—it's more likely that something has provoked it."

"Provoked it? Are you talking about that sunspot?" Karen murmured as she recalled the black spot on the Sun. "Like a child throwing a tantrum and breaking its toys when scolded…"

"Do you know what that sunspot was?" Rim asked, raising the question that had been lingering.

"No, I've never seen anything like it before…" Shizuka's tone reflected her uncertainty.

"Is that so…" Rim nodded, sinking into silent contemplation. The room grew quiet as everyone sank into their own thoughts. For a moment, the atmosphere was heavy with tension.

After a moment, Nobita broke the silence. "Let's take a break! It's been a stressful day; why don't we go out and take a breather? Shizuka, could you show us around?" The tense atmosphere in the room was suffocating, and Nobita, not a fan of the oppressive mood, wanted to lighten the mood.

"Sure!" Shizuka nodded and turned to the others. "What do you all think? Up for a little stroll?"

Stretching her arms, Kelly smiled. "Great idea, Nobita! Sitting here worrying won't solve anything. Let's go out, get some fresh air, and clear our minds!"

Everyone agreed. Nobita, seeing the positive response, felt a wave of relief and smiled brightly. The group quickly prepared to leave. Doraemon took out Take-copter and, after explaining their use to Kelly and Karen, the group took to the skies.

As they soared above the city of Atlantis, taking in the magnificent view, a sudden explosion rang out. A laser beam narrowly missed Nobita, shattering his Take-copter. He began to fall, but Doraemon quickly caught up and grabbed him.

"What just happened?!" Kelly asked, alarmed, her gaze shifting suspiciously to Shizuka. The others also grew wary, but Shizuka looked just as confused as they were, clearly unaware of where the laser had come from.

"They're here… The robots have tracked us here!" Karen's panicked voice rang out, causing everyone to look in the direction she was pointing.

"No way!" Everyone turned to where Karen was pointing. In the distance, the fabric of space itself seemed to shatter; a massive crack had opened in the sky. Through it, glowing crimson eyes appeared one after another as an army of robots marched out.

Doraemon handed Nobita to Connie and Rim, then pulled out a red cloak to deflect the lasers being fired by the robots. (Gadget: Reverse Cloak)

"Everyone, get over here!" Shizuka shouted. The group hurriedly gathered around her as she pressed a button on her bracelet, and in an instant, they vanished, reappearing in the living room of her home.

Shizuka was trembling as she muttered, "How… how did they find us so quickly? This doesn't make sense…" She recalled Undine's earlier warning, but she never imagined the sun could pinpoint their location this fast. Yet here they were. "Damn it!" She clenched her teeth and ran to her laptop, opening a communication interface. "Can anyone hear me?" she called out in panic.

Seeing her distress, the group couldn't help but feel guilty. If it weren't for Shizuka saving them and bringing them here, the sun wouldn't have discovered Atlantis. They felt responsible—not only for Shizuka but also for the Atlanteans living in peace here. They had put her and the Atlanteans at risk.

Shizuka's hands were trembling as she sat on the floor, her voice filled with despair:

"The signal's been jammed. This has never happened before … The sun must have truly found this place, and it even managed to send troops here."

Connie clenched her fists. "We have the Atlanteans, the Përjetësia, and advanced technology from 500 years in the future. Can't we fight back?"

Shizuka shook her head sadly. "It's impossible. The sun is like a child keeping a pet goldfish. One day, it gets bored and decides to throw them away. What can the goldfish do to fight back?"

Connie argued, "But the goldfish can jump out of the bowl and escape!"

Shizuka sighed. "And how long can the goldfish survive outside the bowl? To live, it depends on the environment the child created for it. The goldfish can't escape the child."

Connie fell silent, unable to refute her. Shizuka wasn't wrong. Could life on Earth truly abandon the sun? Doraemon could perhaps take them away to another planet, but in their current situation, even he wasn't safe, let alone able to save Earth.

Kelly exhaled heavily, trying to refocus. "For now, let's deal with these robots. The apocalypse is still years away—we still have time. Shizuka, can the Atlanteans' forces take them down? Is there anything we can do to help?"

Shizuka's expression turned somber. "Atlantis doesn't have a military. When we relocated here, we already used all our resources and manpower to adapt the environment and study the ratios. We've never had wars, so we didn't see the need for weapons. Ancient-era weapons like my trident are rare, and only a handful of us possess them...."

"That can't be true…"

Shizuka removed her bracelet and handed it to Doraemon. "While the sun's electromagnetic field hasn't completely destabilized this place, take everyone and leave."

Doraemon accepted the bracelet with a solemn nod. Nobita, however, rushed forward, asking, "Shizuka, aren't you coming with us?"

"Sorry, but I'll live and die with Atlantis, Nobita." Shizuka shook her head firmly.

Tears streamed down Nobita's face. Shizuka approached, patting his shoulder in comfort. "Don't cry, Nobita. Be strong…"

"I…" Nobita tried to speak, but Rim's sudden scream cut him off: "They're here!" Outside, the robots swarmed, surrounding Shizuka's home.

Doraemon hurriedly took out the Anywhere Door, opening it to reveal a completely different location. Thankfully, it still worked. "Everyone, go quickly!" he shouted.

"Nobita, hurry! If you hesitate, everyone will be in danger!" Shizuka said. Nobita's tears fell even harder, but he knew Shizuka wouldn't change her mind. Her determined gaze told him she had made her choice.

Lowering his head, Nobita began running toward the door. But before anyone could leave, a sudden change occurred. The robots froze, their glowing crimson eyes dimming as they collapsed one by one.

Everyone stared, dumbfounded, at the lifeless machines. "What… just happened? Why did they stop?"