A Hui, Stop Guarding the Door

"A Hui, stop guarding the gate."

The sound from underground rose a third time, and the black fire had already licked the edge of the Coaster.

The arm behind the door was still outstretched under the light, the cloth on the wrist half-undone, blood dripping from the rusty iron into the puddles on the floor.

"Mo'er."

A Hui called out the name, her voice dry and strained.

"I am here."

You lied to me.

"Um."

You said you'd be back soon.

"That statement also lied."

You said it's safe outside.

"It wasn't safe then, but now there are people around."

With each word Mo'er spoke, the black ring beneath the floor tightened inwards.

The fire on the Coaster burned down along the names, and the topmost "Mo'er" was missing half of its name.

Lin Qi grabbed the flask from the counter, but Makino raised her hand to stop him.

"Do not water it."

"Watch it burn?"

"The black flame burns records; if the alcohol gets on them, it will be recorded as if you voluntarily destroyed them."

Vegapunk zoomed in on the image of the tin box, revealing six thin lines connecting the bottom of the Coaster.

"Water is also unusable; anything introduced from the outside will be interpreted by the Throne as a means of processing."

"Let it die on its own."

Nami stared at the edge of the Coaster, tapping the deck with her Clima-Tact.

"The fire started in the iron box, and the iron box recognized Lin Qi. As long as Lin Qi withdraws the contact record, the black fire will lose its target."

How do we evacuate?

"They even keep a record of who touched the tablecloth?"

Lin Qi flipped through the Tavern's maintenance ledger, looking up and down two pages.

"I used it to prop up the table, and I only wrote 'repair table legs' on it."

The Old Carpenter came over and wiped away the sawdust.

"The tin box wasn't included in the Tavern's inventory; it wasn't even recorded as junk."

Robin submitted the repair bill to the circumstantial evidence area.

"Without a record of possession or safekeeping, on what grounds does the Throne claim the iron box recognizes Lin Qi?"

The voice from behind the Black Gate then fell silent.

[Contact with the Terminal constitutes de facto takeover.]

"If I touch the screen at the Marine Headquarters, does that mean the Marine Headquarters belongs to me?"

Lin Qi leaned back in his chair.

"If you dare admit it, I'll have Akainu empty the headquarters warehouse and send it over right now."

Akainu looked up at the secondary screen.

"The Navy will not accept it."

"Look, they don't want to."

"The takeover is not based on the individual's wishes."

Save those words for your own judgment.

Lin Qi pushed the repair bill next to the computer.

"I didn't confiscate the tin box, I didn't hide the Coasters, and I never used it for business. It was only used to prop up a table leg."

The Village Chief raised his cane.

"The villagers are the witnesses; that table always belonged to the Tavern."

The Old Carpenter added, "The iron box was used as a temporary pad to support the weight. It should have been removed after the table was repaired, but Lin Qi forgot."

"Hey, can you stop making me sound so unreliable?"

"You even forgot there's a metal box in the basement."

Makino flipped through the repair bill.

"You're really unreliable in this matter."

Genzo lifted the rope, raising the tabletop half an inch off the ground.

"The table doesn't need it anymore."

The black flames inside the tin box receded to the corners, but the burned parts on the Coaster did not recover.

Lumi stared at Mo'er's incomplete name.

"It's gone; one character is missing."

Void Seven the paper is unfolded, the ink seeps out from the inner layer of the paper.

"Mo'er, Echo Node Maintainer, the record can still be added."

"Don't add more yet."

Mo'er opened the mouth underground.

The missing part of the Coaster is on me; it's written on the outside, and there will be extra weight underneath.

A Hui pushed the door open with his shoulder, causing the door to open a little wider.

"I'm going down."

"No."

You have no right to say no.

"A Hui, be a good girl."

I've heard this for many years.

The sound of chains being dragged came from inside the door.

A Hui stretched his other arm out of the door, both wrists wrapped with rusty iron wires that pierced his flesh before winding back behind the door.

Makino moved the oil lamp closer.

"This is Human Lock?"

"Three lines above, three lines below."

Mo'er replied.

Every time he opened the door, the lock would retract inward.

Lin Qi looked at the narrow slit that had been opened.

"How much did he take when he pushed the door open just now?"

Don't ask.

A Hui wrapped the cloth around her wrist again.

"A Hui."

I told you not to ask.

There was no further response from underground.

A Hui removed his shoulder from the door panel. The door was not closed; the six iron wires wrapped around him supported the weight of the door.

The exposed half of his face was sunken and gaunt, his hair hung down to his chest, and a rusty copper plate was pressed against his right ear.

Makino placed the bowl of water by the door.

"Drink some water first."

"Mo'er is still down there."

"You'll have the energy to argue with him after you finish drinking."

A Hui looked at her for a while, took the bowl, and only drank one sip.

Did he hear me drink water?

"I heard you."

"That's what Mo'er said."

A Hui put the water bowl back on the ground.

Why are you still alive?

"Because you guarded the gate."

"What will you do if I go out?"

I will continue to live.

You lied to me again.

The sound of a cup churning came from under the floor.

Mo'er did not respond.

A Hui lifted his foot, his ankle also wrapped with iron wire, and with each half step he took, gears inside the door would turn.

"I'm not going out, I'm going downstairs."

You can't get to the table.

"You can get there by crawling."

The Six Locks will take your voice away.

I still have my hands.

"You'll lose your hands too."

"Then I'll bite you."

Buggy leaned against the railing, his face scrunched up as he listened.

"Does this old man even know how to talk? Would it kill him to say something nice to him?"

Shanks pushed the delivery ledger toward him.

He was afraid A Hui would stay.

"I can tell the difference; you don't need to explain."

Buggy tapped the secondary screen.

"Hey you down there, old man, just tell him directly that you want him to get out of here alive."

Mo'er paused for a moment before answering.

"Think."

A Hui loosened her grip on the doorframe slightly.

Say it again.

I want you to get out of here alive.

And what about you?

"I'm too old."

Is this considered an answer?

"Live as long as you can."

"You're trying to lie to me again."

A Hui hid half of his face behind the door, leaving only his palm pressed against the edge of the door panel.

You used to say you'd come back if you could, but you never did.

Mo'er coughed a few times, the sound carrying through the cracks in the floorboards.

I won't lie this time.

What guarantees do you have?

"Take the person outside the door."

Lin Qi pointed to himself.

"Make things clear first, don't rely on me to guarantee everything."

"You can hear them."

"The whole world heard it."

"They heard the Sky Screen, you heard the cup."

The Black Line behind the computer lifted off the ground, and the Cup Shadow hanging on the wire turned towards Lin Qi one by one.

Mo'er continued, "The Coaster never recognizes its owner."

What is that?

"The next person to hear this."

Lin Qi looked at the underground structure diagram.

What should you do after hearing that?

"Take A Hui out of here, take his name out of here."

"And you."

"I'm beneath the Inverted Cup."

"Then turn it over."

"Once opened, the Total Echo dissipate."

Where did they scatter to?

"Go back to everyone who sent out a distress call."

Naji immediately held up the paper.

Will they survive?

Mo'er couldn't see the paper, Mia read it to him.

"The living can speak again, and the dead will leave behind their last words."

Lumi hugged the list tightly.

What price will be paid?

Mo'er did not answer.

A Hui pressed his forehead against the door panel.

"Explain."

"It takes someone to hold the Inverted Cup."

"I'll do it."

"No."

Then don't translate it.

"The Throne has found its way here, and it won't be long before it burns the Coaster to ashes."

"So you called me out while you stayed downstairs holding the cup?"

"Um."

A Hui kicked the inside of the door panel, and the wire cut into his ankle.

"Mo'er, if you say 'yes' again, I'll tear the door down right now."

"Don't move."

Are you scared?

"I'm afraid it will hurt you."

"I've been in pain for so many years, and only now do you think you're afraid?"

The cup inside the door rolled out through the narrow gap and hit the water bowl.

A Hui looked down at the cup, her chest heaving a few times.

Makino didn't rush him; she simply put the loosened cloth back by the door.

The black ring under the floor began to rotate, and a soft cracking sound came from under the table.

The Old Carpenter quickly grabbed the rope.

"The entrance is open, but the desktop won't last long."

Lin Qi pushed the chair away.

"A Hui, you've been guarding this place for so long, you know the best how to get there."

"I'll lead the way."

"Okay, but the six locks need to be removed first."

"Disassembling the lock will open the door."

"The door is useless now; the Throne knows Mo'er is down there."

A Hui turned her head to look at the computer, which was mostly off.

"The Sky Screen will break."

"If it's over, then it's over."

The list will lose its protection.

"The Navy, Revolutionary Army, pirates, and civilians all caught it just now."

"And you?"

Lin Qi lifted the Tavern's ledger.

"I'll take this job at the Tavern."

A Hui stared at him for a moment, then slipped her wrist, wrapped in rusty iron, through the crack in the door.

"Disassemble the left hand first."

Makino picked up the tools, but a line of black text appeared on the wire.

[Removing the Human Lock will release the lower-level contaminant.]

Akainu Detention Order in black ink.

Save this sentence.

Dragon said, "The Revolutionary Army is recording simultaneously."

Robin turns to a new page.

"First layer of Human Lock, Left Wrist Lock, witness release."

A Hui looked down at the ground.

"Mo'er, listen to me."

"I'm listening."

"I'll come back to you after I get out."

"Good."

"If you dare hide again, I'll smash all the cups."

"Don't smash that."

"You still dare to tell me what to do?"

The rusty iron was pried open with tools, and the iron wire from the left wrist dangled to the ground.

A muffled thud came from the Inverted Cup on the ground.

The name on the Coaster splits to the sides, revealing a sentence hidden at the very bottom.

Lin Qi looked down to read the first few words when Mo'er shouted to stop him from below.

"Don't read it!"

It's too late.

The text on the wooden Coaster lit up on its own.

[When the Inverted Cup begins, only one of the Gatekeeper or Maintainer may leave.]