-406- The vanished girl

"Gu..."

"Gu..."

In his sleep, Rozen suddenly heard what seemed like voices calling him, and even his body was being shaken.

"Ugh..."

Rozen rubbed his eyes and slowly opened them.

The moonlight outside the window immediately caught Rozen's eye, indicating that he had only just fallen asleep not long ago, and it wasn't even daylight yet.

What had woken Rozen up were Saichou and Hanachou, who had apparently awakened at some point.

"Gu! Gu!"

"Gu!"

Saichou and Hanachou were shaking Rozen incessantly and even making anxious sounds, looking very worried.

"What's going on?"

Rozen rubbed his eyes and yawned as he got up.

Not only Rozen but even Asuna seemed to have been awakened.

"What's wrong, Rozen?"

Asuna also groggily sat up.

Saichou and Hanachou flew in front of them, gesturing wildly.

"Gu! Gu! Gu!"

The two rainbow butterflies kept making noise in front of Rozen and Asuna.

Their unprecedented restlessness surprised both Rozen and Asuna.

"What's going on with you two?"

"Why are you so noisy today?"

Rozen and Asuna were both puzzled.

This made Saichou and Hanachou somewhat exasperated. After calling out once, they flew to the middle between Rozen and Asuna, hovering there.

Rozen and Asuna, following the gaze of the two familiars, were initially puzzled, but soon their expressions turned to shock. Because Yui, who should have been sleeping there, was nowhere to be seen.

"Yui-chan!"

Asuna immediately panicked.

"She's gone...!?"

Rozen's spirit was awakened as well, and he was now fully alert.

"Gu!"

"Gu!"

Saichou and Hanachou let out affirmative cries. Clearly, it was Yui's disappearance that had prompted these two familiars to urgently wake up Rozen and Asuna.

"Ro... Rozen...! Yui...! Yui is...!"

Asuna, as if losing all her previous calmness and wisdom, was so agitated that tears were about to flow, grabbing Rozen's arm.

Her demeanor was like that of a mother who had just realized her child was missing.

"Calm down, Asuna."

Rozen quickly patted Asuna's back, signaling her to calm down, then turned to Saichou and Hanachou.

"Gu!"

Saichou and Hanachou immediately seemed to understand Rozen's intent, each giving a call before flying out of the room.

Seeing this, Rozen's eyes lit up.

"It looks like Saichou and Hanachou know where Yui went."

Rozen immediately got up, called up the main menu to equip each piece of armor, and finally had his beloved azure crystal sword appear at his waist, completing his full gear.

"Let's hurry and catch up."

Rozen said this without any hesitation to Asuna, then rushed out of the room, following Saichou and Hanachou.

"Wait... wait for me!"

Only then did Asuna react, summoning the main menu as well. She quickly removed her casual clothes, and at the fastest speed, equipped her full gear and her most trusted rapier. She followed Rozen out of the room.

....

The 22nd floor on this moonlit night remained as tranquil and beautiful as ever. The moonlight reflected off surfaces like a mirror, adding an air of mystery to the surroundings.

Rozen and Asuna, who had not fully equipped themselves since their peaceful life in the Forest House, quickly donned their gear and armed themselves upon seeing Yui's disappearance. They rushed forward at top speed, weapons in hand.

Both of them were extremely high-level players, and in their full sprint, they seemed like streaks of light flashing through the forest. To anyone who didn't know better, they might even appear as ghosts.

At this incredible pace, they moved swiftly through the forest.

Ahead of them, Saichou and Hanachou also appeared as streaks of light, flying at an astonishing speed.

"Gu!"

"Gu!"

The two rainbow butterflies swiftly called out, and their luminous phosphorescent trails left a beautiful path behind them.

Both of them travelled swiftly through the forest and arrived at Coral's main street.

At this moment, the entire town of Coral was shrouded in the silence of the night, with not a single sound to be heard.

Coral, as the main street of the 22nd floor, wasn't particularly impressive. It could best be described as a village with sparse buildings. It looked somewhat deserted, and since not many players ventured to this floor, let alone lived here, the streets appeared devoid of life. Even the NPCs had retreated to their homes and weren't outside.

Following Saichou and Hanachou, Rozen and Asuna arrived at Coral's Teleport Gate Plaza.

In the next moment, they saw...

"There she is!"

Asuna exclaimed with joy, and Rozen gazed intently.

Before Galar's Teleport Gate, Yui was wearing her usual pristine white dress and walking towards the gate.

However, Yui's condition was clearly abnormal. Although she was walking steadily even without shoes, her slender figure gave Rozen and Asuna the impression of "sleepwalking."

Yui appeared to be sleepwalking, slowly walking toward the Teleport Gate.

Seeing this scene, both Rozen and Asuna almost simultaneously guessed what would happen next.

"Yui!"

"Wait!"

Rozen and Asuna both called out instinctively.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

"Teleport..."

Yui's voice, cold and faint, sounded as she walked into the Teleport Gate with her back to them.

"Town of Beginnings..."

The voice command immediately took effect, causing the Teleport Gate to emit a bright light that enveloped Yui's body.

In the next moment, Yui disappeared.

Through the Teleport Gate, she had gone to another floor.

"Yui!"

Asuna rushed forward.

"Town of Beginnings...?"

Rozen frowned.

"Gu!"

Under the pleasant calls of Saichou and Hanachou, they also arrived at the Teleport Gate.

"Rozen," Asuna said with great unease. "Why would Yui go to the Town of Beginnings at a time like this?"

This question troubled Rozen as well.

"Could it be that Yui has regained her memories and decided to go back on her own?"

Asuna looked both anxious and distressed, a far cry from the vice-commander known as "Flash."

Rozen could only comfort her. "Don't worry, even if Yui has truly regained her memories and wants to return to her original place, she wouldn't leave without saying anything."

In fact...

"Yui's state just now was clearly unusual, like sleepwalking. It's highly likely that it wasn't an action she took consciously, but rather something unintentional." Rozen explained to Asuna. "Either way, we'll find out once we catch up to her."

"Right!" Asuna nodded without hesitation.

The two of them, along with Saichou and Hanachou, shouted loudly as they entered the Teleport Gate.

"Teleport! Town of Beginnings!"

The Teleport Gate activated, making their figures vanish from the spot.