"I like..." Nobita gets nervous, he was about to do it because of the surge of emotions, everyone was waiting to see what he would say, however...
"I like that friends like you are safe... And... That's why I'm going to work hard for Independence Day"
Both Doraemon, Seiya and Dekisugi let out a sigh while Melia only says a "Oh maaaan" somewhat irritated, which confuses Shizuka but makes her giggle at these reactions.
"And I also like that friends like you are safe, Nobita" says the girl with the pigtails as she stands up with the clumsy boy who only scratches the back of his neck, smiling in a shy way, apparently he had already regained his spirit.
Nobita looks at Dekisugi with a little sadness "I'm also sorry for ignoring you, you are a good friend and I did this to you, it's just that I thought that only in this way I could avoid something worse for them. If Suneo and Gian aren't my friends and he did that to them, I'm afraid that you, being my friends, would go through something worse and that scared me, I'm really sorry."
Dekisugi denies smiling "Don't worry Nobi, I understand that all this happened because the baron influenced your fears believing that you would be on his side, the important thing is that you realized your mistake, I'll continue to support you in this just like Shizuka"
"Are we all okay now?" Doraemon says while Nobita, Shizuka and Dekisugi nod with a smile.
"Thank you for helping me with this even though I refused." The silly boy plays with his fingers, ashamed of himself. "I let the panic get the best of me and I just thought it was better to handle this alone."
"You don't have to, what you felt now is similar to what Melia and I felt when we agreed to be on the program even though dad was against it from the beginning, our fears dominated us" Seiya puts his hand on Nobita's shoulder "For that same reason I was very worried that this would affect you and that you would think carefully about being in this. We are all in this together and he isn't going to scare us or anyone else anymore." The blue-haired boy smiles just like his sister, making the boy with glasses little by little regain more of his shine and smile gratefully, it was the same shine he had lost a week ago.
"Now that we have resolved this, let's go now to the warehouse, I still have to show you that invention that I know you are going to love" Melia pats the clumsy boy and they both laugh, so little by little everyone left the balcony, staying Nobita and Doraemon there.
"Doraemon" The mechanical cat turns to look at the boy to receive a sudden hug from him "Thank you for doing this. I really needed it, I feel better now, thank you for getting into this." Doraemon smiles and pats him
"Someone had to make you wake up, if we are going to do this, you have to be okay. Come on, we have to go to the practice room"
The group of 6, finishing with one less pending, heads towards the practice room. When they arrive, Mia and Hikaru were waiting for them with a large black suitcase. The orange-haired girl approaches them.
"It was time for you to arrive, every day we are close to the end and time is the least we have to lose. I hope that 807 has resolved his personal issues, because we have the invention ready and he has to try it"
Nobita feels and laughs nervously "Thank you for the encouragement Mia, I have already gotten used to your way of being and the fact that you continue to refuse to call me by my name"
"You already understood her way, now you're part of the team" Hikaru laughs but quickly shuts up when Mia looks at him with a bad face "I-I mean! You better try the invention right now, we were giving it one last check" Hikaru shows a dozen targets placed attached to tin tubes in the room. "Generally Mia hits 8 out of 12 targets so don't be afraid if you can't do what she does the first time"
The intern opens the black suitcase revealing a pair of pistols in the style of that world of steam but in a shiny copper color. Nobita is surprised to see the weapons, proceeding to take one of these. "Yeah, they are different from the previous design I made, I wanted to redesign them to give them a style that matches you. Melia was working on these pistols while Mia helped her with the assembly so as not to take too long, especially since we had to adapt the ammunition to a battery adaptable to the mechanical heart, which was the most complicated part" Seiya says while scratching the back of his neck nervously.
"In practice it seemed easier to apply, but we had to do a lot of testing to make it work as I wanted and the monthly project with the tasks didn't help much" Melia says, releasing a tired sigh.
"The truth is they are impressive, thanks Seiya and Melia, and also thanks Mia" Nobita smiles taking the other gun, he already felt them as if they were his for years, that was the feeling they gave him thanks to that innate ability he had with aim. The silly boy wants to practice how to use it a little, so he tries to shoot it on the ground, but no matter how hard he pulled the trigger, nothing happened.
"We have adapted the guns to only run on engine power thanks to Dr. Keta's notes on your condition regarding the mechanical heart, you just have to concentrate on sending power to the guns through the grips that we have modified with energy receptors and thus charge the battery of the guns. So when you need to use them you will only need to recharge them with the power of the mechanical heart unlike using bullets and magazines and that makes them more effective than common guns."
"You can do that as many times as you need and although at first you will have to concentrate to recharge since the batteries they use are adapted to be recharged with both common energy and that of the engine, with practice you will even recharge them without having to think about it much and as you have learned to control the use of the engine voluntarily thanks to the training you have been doing, I think you will be able to handle them well" Says the black-haired girl.
"Basically it's like you connect a device to a source of electrical energy to make it work" Dekisugi says, that way Nobita could understand it better
"Wow, it's complicated, but I think I understand a little." The silly boy is confused for a moment but he makes the attempt, concentrating on bringing the energy of the mechanical heart motor to his hands, which causes the batteries of the guns to begin to glow and the gears inside begin to move.
Walking, Nobita approaches the shooting area where the dozen targets were ready for practice, standing behind the shooting line. Seiya, Melia, Mia and Hikaru were waiting to finally see the clumsy boy's shooting ability since when he came to train, Mia only made him improve his resistance through exercise machines and making him concentrate the power of the motor and throw it through middle of his fingers in case at some point he can't use the guns that would give him full access to his ability.
Doraemon, Shizuka and Dekisugi already knew the result, since they had already seen that ability in action even with a toy gun, corks and aluminum cans. Mia pulls out a stopwatch similar to a vintage pocket watch to give him the signal.
"Okay 807, I'll give you the signal to use the guns, if you don't hit all the targets on your first try, it's okay, you can still practice. So start... Now!" The orange-haired woman activates the stopwatch "Likewise, I hope you don't take too long..."
The mechanic couldn't finish the sentence when Nobita uses only one of the two guns to hit ALL the targets right on target quickly and accurately, those who didn't know of his potential were surprised, especially Mia who barely managed to measure the time "That... You did that?!" Nobita only responds by nodding as he smiles proudly after demonstrating his prowess to them.
"That was amazing! Not only did you manage to hit all the targets, but you shattered Mia's time!" Melia says excitedly as she looks at Shizuka "It was really a success in creating something regarding the prosthesis and that ability!"
"I told you, Nobita is very good at that" Shizuka smiles while Nobita turns red when he hears that because the girl he loved praised him.
"Without a doubt we will be fine on the mission with Nobita's support" Seiya says making the silly boy scratch the back of his neck nervous about the compliments.
Hikaru checks one of the targets that were burned in the center "It's incredible, it's 100% accurate, this is an energy that is even capable of immobilizing according to what I was studying in Dr. Keta's notes. When those of the Sutirushiti Special Forces witness this power on mission day, they will see Nobita as a diamond in the rough."
"Or a dangerous walking weapon" thinks Mia who puts her hands on Nobita's shoulders to be direct with him "807, I'm going to tell you the same thing I told 80 and 81 a while ago. That ability you have already has a engine to be able to be used even without using inventions like these guns, so use it carefully and responsibly. Do you understand?" The boy with the glasses just swallows nervously but still nods a little fearful of the warning even though she has a point.
"That's true, at the end of the day it's an engine that, depending on its use, can be good or bad. But if you decided to use it to help stop Baron Kurai despite everything you have been through during these months, there will be no need to worry" Doraemon smiles at Nobita who is able to get rid of his nerves thanks to his best friend's words.
"Well, change of plans, you don't need to practice something that you really know how to handle well. The guns will stay here for safety. We don't have much time, so we will continue working on your resistance and your mechanic skills, which is the only pending thing we have. Do you remember that I said I was going to help you with your unconscious repair problem? Well, we'll focus on that starting right now," Mia says, looking carefully at her teammate who lets out a tired sigh but ultimately agrees, it wasn't time to complain, every day they were close to the moment of a good or bad conclusion.
The rest of the day was quiet for everyone, things had already been settled as soon as the time away was over. For the rest of the day, Mia was trying to get Nobita to fix some engines that were scrapped from the factory as practice so he could improve his mechanic skills without him needing to be distracted. Although it was complicated, the orange-haired girl was strict on that point, she was also a mechanic after all, Mia would make the clumsy boy repeat the repair process with another damaged engine if he took too long without moving forward or if the practice engine ended exploding.
Another sunset falls for the city of Sutirushiti, Nobita returned home with his clothes stained with motor oil, smoke stains and traces of explosions, while he sighs tiredly for having had a good practice session with those mechanisms, and that was just the started with a teacher with the same level of pressure that reminded him of his mother's scolding. "Mia does take her mechanic job seriously." Shizuka takes out her handkerchief while wiping a stain on Nobita's cheek, making him blush "Although, I missed having my friends around, I don't feel so empty inside anymore." That makes both Shizuka and Dekisugi smile.
"The progress you've been making these past few days has been remarkable, Nobi. You're really taking progressing very seriously and it's good that you already have that confidence that you've had to have for a while now." While Dekisugi continued talking as they walked, Nobita stops and looks curiously at a theater poster about another performance of the (Story of Vapu), Doraemon and company turn around to see what was happening to their friend.
"Sorry, I just saw that poster and it made me remember that day at the theater." The clumsy boy smiles nervously.
"I remember that day, Vapu's story is sad but admirable. I hope that when that day ends and we go to the theater again the play will still be there to see it again, I adore it very much" Nobita understood that hint, apparently she has not forgotten that promise to go to the theater again when it's all over, which made him blush red in the face.
While the three of them talked about other things, Nobita followed them looking at the sky, getting lost in his thoughts.
"I don't know why but... I feel that what is happening now in Sutirushiti is the same as the story of Vapu. We are between 4 walls, which are the walls to protect us from the unknown just like in other cities."
"The genie thing reminds me of Mr. Hirano being afraid that Seiya and Melia would suffer something after what happened to them having to keep them away at home for a while until he gave them the opportunity to go to school, although he didn't let them do much at first for fear that Baron Kurai would do something to them."
"Vapu was very curious to go outside, since he thought there was a lot to explore, and although there were obstacles he was going to be able to go outside one day. That reminds me of..."
"I NOW KNOW! I'll be an autonomous aviator, I'll fly far away in a flying ship that I will create and I will travel to many places that the wind tells me, I didn't remember that idea since I was with my grandma! And I think it's a good idea"
"Nobita, to be an aviator, you don't just need to have your own flying ship. How would you earn money to feed yourself and maintain your flying ship? I know you're studying to be a mechanic like dad, But repairs only work well when you're not paying attention to your surroundings, so you are learning to be able to repair and create without having to get lost in your thoughts."
"I know. I know it's an impossible dream for someone stupid like me."
"I never said it was impossible, I'm just making you realize what it means to be an autonomous aviator. There are inventors who are, but who have taken into account everything that goes into doing that, overcoming the difficulties, not that it isn't a bad dream but for that same reason you should try very hard to at least be a good mechanic without having to be distracted to do it well."
Nobita adjusts his cap as he continued walking and thinking "I'm making an effort to improve and that is allowing me to be close to wanting to visit the places that I marked on a map with my grandma being an autonomous aviator. Going further like Vapu wanted."
"The Great Calamity that wanted to harm those who lived in the tin castle is undoubtedly Baron Kurai and his evil ideas, and the great cataclysm is undoubtedly what is going to happen on Independence Day. And who stops that is Vapu, that is, us." The silly boy gets a little nervous. "Does that mean that in the end we are going to end up the same as Vapu?"
"Seiya, Melia, Mia, Hikaru and I each have a prosthesis that is mentioned in the story of Vapu." The boy puts on a serious look and immediately clenches his fists "I'm afraid but... Now that I'm in the same situation as Vapu, I think..."
"If things get bad, if I had no choice, I would do the same as him"
"I knew the risk that would happen if I got into this, but it will be worth it, no matter what. To protect those I care about" Nobita watches as Shizuka was talking to Doraemon and Dekisugi while she smiles, so he smiles fondly and pride.
"And to protect the one I love"