At that moment, natural disasters were still intensifying all over the globe.
Sure enough, as we all boarded Miyoko's flying carpet, the world outside—which had just quieted down a bit—started whipping up fierce winds again.
But luckily, Miyoko's flying carpet wasn't affected at all. It even helped shield us from the gusts.
The flying carpet plunged unstoppable into the cloud layer.
By then, dark clouds had tightly enveloped the earth, making everything pitch black with not a single ray of light visible.
It felt like a omen that the world was about to be covered in darkness.
But the flying carpet carrying us shot through like a meteor.
After breaking through the thick clouds, there were no more obstacles, and we could finally see the moon hanging clearly in the sky.
Under the moonlight's glow, Miyoko transformed back into her human form.
I looked up at the moon and noticed that the moon in the magic world was slightly angular, unlike the one in our tech world with its crater pits.
Even more surprising, the moon here seemed to emit its own light, not just reflecting the sun's rays.
Was this because Nirnaeth, the guardian of Earth, had cast some special magic on it, or was there another reason?
If that's the case, why did Doraemon's Moon Torch Light in the original stories work just like the tech world's moon to undo magic?
Thinking about it, did these similarities mean that our tech world has magic too?
And what role does the What-if-telephone that connects the two worlds play in all this?
I pondered a lot, but I still had no clues. The original stories didn't mention it anyway, so what was the point of me overthinking it?
By then, the flying carpet had flown out of Earth's range, and the planet slowly shrank in our view, like it was being tucked away in our eyes.
Once we reached a certain distance, the moonlight faded, and Miyoko turned back into a cat!
We were all used to it by now, so it was no big deal. But what really shocked us was the sight of Earth.
"Earth is completely surrounded by clouds!"
It turned out that dark clouds enveloping the earth wasn't just an exaggeration—it was literally true.
Because of the Demon Planet's approach, Earth's environment had changed so drastically.
"If we defeat the demons, we can save Earth!"
Miyoko encouraged us as we stared at the planet's current state, then added,
"Alright! Once we're in space, we'll start accelerating soon. Everyone, follow me inside the carpet first!"
With that, Miyoko raised her two cat paws and waved them to cast a spell. The pentagram pattern in the center of the flying carpet changed, forming a downward passage.
"The entrance is a bit small, but the space inside the carpet is really spacious!" Miyoko said with a smile, then led the way down, beckoning us to follow.
Doraemon and I discussed the magic world's outer space as we went in.
Doraemon was thinking that this magic world's universe seemed different from our tech world's—there was even air here!
Just as Doraemon was puzzled, we entered the carpet and discovered how huge it was inside.
It was just like some of the four-dimensional spaces in Doraemon's pocket gadgets. This thin carpet could create such a vast interior space.
There were even transparent viewing windows to observe the outside, but they were one-way—you couldn't see in from out there.
It was truly amazing, even better than the Wallpaper House.
So this is the magic of the magic world? It's developed to a level that's no less than our tech world!
"If you go down from here, there are bedrooms too! It'll take a while to reach the Demon Planet, so everyone should rest up!" Miyoko led us to another downward entrance.
I hadn't expected this space to have two levels—the area we were in was basically like the rooftop.
"Does this place have baths too?" Shizuka asked Miyoko expectantly.
"Of course!"
With Miyoko's confirmation, Shizuka was so happy she nearly jumped. After all, we'd been through a tiring day seizing the Demon World Chronicles, and she hadn't had a proper chance to clean up.
Now she could finally enjoy a good soak!
Looking at the complete facilities inside the flying carpet, not just Shizuka but all of us were pretty thrilled. We each started assigning our own rooms.
...
While Nobita and the others were heading toward the Demon Planet...
On the other side, inside a cave on the Demon Planet...
Medusa, with her serpentine hair and body, knelt on the ground and respectfully presented the hard-won Demon World Chronicles.
Demon King Demaon, seated on his throne, glanced at the chronicles and absorbed their contents in an instant.
Instead of rewarding her, he backhanded a blast of Demon World fire onto Medusa.
The fire ignited her instantly, engulfing her entire body in flames like a torch.
Medusa writhed in the Demon World fire, letting out agonized screams.
Yet she didn't dare resist in the slightest.
"The other half is in those fools' hands!" Demon King Demaon's majestic voice echoed from the throne.
Medusa, barely enduring the burning torment, replied shakily,
"Those fools... I've buried them under the iceberg!"
"Useless wretch! They're heading toward the Demon Planet right now!" Demon King Demaon waved his hand, and an image appeared in his crystal ball: Nobita and the others flying out of Earth on the carpet!
"You've made such a grave mistake—you should atone with your life. But fortunately, the most important part of the Demon World Chronicles is still in our possession! Consider this your lucky escape, Medusa!" Demon King Demaon's tone shifted, deciding not to pursue her failure further.
"Leave!" His majestic voice rang like heavenly music in Medusa's ears.
"Yes!" Medusa, grateful and tearful, hurried away.
However, right after Medusa left, a hooded, two-horned demon emerged from the shadows.
"Is this really wise, Lord Demaon? Why spare Medusa's life?"
The demon was puzzled. In his experience, Demaon showed no mercy to subordinates who failed tasks. Especially since Medusa wasn't a traditional demon—she wasn't even one of their own.
"I still have a task for her to complete!"
"I've finally found a way to break the magic Nirnaeth cast on the moonlight!" Demon King Demaon gazed at the Demon World Chronicles in his hand, a mysterious glint in his crimson eyes.
"Then we can finally..." The demon's face lit up with excitement.
"That's right. On the next full moon night, that planet will belong to me!" Demon King Demaon laughed from his throne.
Gazing at the flying carpet in the crystal ball, he knew no one could stop him.
Everything was ready!