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{3rd Pov}
A full day later, Echidna finally stirred awake from what could only be described as a sleep-deprived coma.
The moment news of her awakening reached Emilia's ears, she didn't waste a second.
Emilia, Rem, Ram, and the rest of the camp practically sprinted through the hallways toward Echidna's room.
Frederica, who had been assigned to watch over her, barely had time to step aside before the group pushed their way inside, immediately bombarding Echidna with the barrage of questions that had been haunting them for the last twenty-four hours.
"Okay! Okay! I'll tell you everything—just lower your voices a little!" Echidna snapped, sounding completely exhausted.
Her head throbbed with the dull ache caused by her terrible sleep schedule catching up to her, and even though she had slept for an entire day, the aftereffects still lingered.
On top of that, the stress and anxiety surrounding Subaru's situation only made her irritation worse.
"Echidna, please… tell us what exactly happened," Emilia asked, her voice firm but filled with worry.
At those words, Echidna's expression immediately darkened.
Her confidence drained in an instant, and her face fell as if the weight of everything she had experienced suddenly returned all at once.
She clenched her fists tightly, her knuckles turning white.
For a moment, she didn't even try to meet their eyes, clearly hesitating and struggling with the memory of what she had witnessed.
It was obvious that whatever she had to say was not something she wanted to relive.
"I was conducting research on a specific type of magic… a spell designed to allow the user to travel between different worlds," Echidna finally admitted, and the entire room went silent.
Emilia and Ram both gasped at the same time, their expressions tightening with sudden unease.
The mere thought of Subaru being sent away to another world struck a deep fear in both of them.
At this point, Subaru had become an irreplaceable presence in their lives, and each of them—though neither openly admitted it—held feelings for him.
Even if they logically understood that Subaru might have reasons to return to his original world one day, the idea of him disappearing from theirs caused a painful knot to form in their chests.
"The magic was incomplete," Echidna went on, her tone turning frustrated as she recalled the situation.
"I was only demonstrating the prototype to Zero. It wasn't supposed to be used yet. But right when I was explaining the structure of the spell, Reina teleported beside him. The two of them were standing directly at the center of the magic circle, and because the Sword Saint caused a sudden disturbance in the surrounding mana… the spell activated on its own. Before either of us could react, the incomplete magic forcefully triggered and teleported them both completely outside of this world."
"Will Subaru be safe?" Emilia immediately asked, her voice trembling slightly.
The others stared at Echidna with the same desperate need for reassurance.
Echidna nodded slowly.
"You don't have to worry about his safety in terms of survival. The Witch Factors inside him function even in other worlds. He will retain his combat abilities, his enhancements, and everything that makes him capable of protecting himself."
Hearing that, everyone finally let out the breath they had been holding.
At least half of their fears regarding Subaru's immediate wellbeing faded away in that moment, and although the situation was still serious, knowing he wasn't helpless brought them some relief.
"Is there any possible way to contact Master Zero?" Ram asked, her voice noticeably calmer and more composed compared to Emilia's anxious tone.
Despite her outward composure, even Ram couldn't fully hide the tension in her expression.
Echidna exhaled deeply, shaking her head with a frustrated sigh.
"There is no direct method to reach him. There is no established magic capable of sending messages across different worlds…" Echidna began, and the moment those words left her mouth, everyone's shoulders sank in disappointment.
The atmosphere in the room grew heavy, as if the last bit of hope had been snuffed out.
But then, halfway through her own explanation, Echidna paused, her eyes widening slightly as a new thought struck her. "Wait—there might be something. It's not exactly a way for us to contact him, but there is a possibility that he could contact us."
Her sudden shift immediately pulled everyone's attention back to her.
Emilia, Otto, Rem, Ram—each of them perked up, clinging to even the slightest chance of communication.
"Really? How would Sir Zero be able to contact us?" Otto asked, sounding far more hopeful and excited than before.
Echidna nodded slowly as she elaborated, "I created the magic formula while he was observing, and knowing Zero—considering how frighteningly fast he learns—he must have already understood the entire structure the moment he laid his eyes on it. If he takes some time to analyze the incomplete spell and sets it up properly on the other side, then after conducting a few experiments, he should eventually be able to send a signal or open a temporary channel. At the very least, he should be able to reach out to us once he figures out the adjustments."
Hearing Echidna's explanation, everyone finally allowed themselves to breathe in relief.
Even so, they were equally stunned—almost disturbed—by the realization that Subaru had managed to memorize the entire magic structure just by looking at it.
The spell in question wasn't some simple chant or circle; it was the prototype of Yggdrasil, a world-crossing magic so ridiculously advanced and complex that even gifted researchers like Echidna struggled to grasp all its layers.
For ordinary people like them, the very idea of understanding such a spell was beyond impossible.
And yet Subaru had merely taken a single glance and learned the whole thing?
Only now did they truly understand why the Great Sage was called "Omniscient."
To them, people who struggled with even moderately complicated magic formulas, Subaru's ability felt unreal.
His level of comprehension wasn't something a normal person could even hope to reach; in comparison to them, his intellect and intuition really did seem "all-knowing."
"So… what exactly are we supposed to do now?" Otto muttered, half to himself and half to the room, unable to hide the mixture of tension and helplessness hanging over him.
Echidna sighed again, looking exhausted but determined.
"For now, I will continue working on perfecting the magic. I'll run additional tests, refine the formula, and try to figure out a method—any method—that might allow us to contact Subaru or at least respond if he reaches out first."
As soon as she said that, their moods noticeably lifted.
Even the smallest step forward was enough to bring back a sense of direction.
Knowing that Echidna was actively working on the spell made them feel less powerless, and the hope that Subaru might eventually find a way to reach them grew stronger in everyone's hearts.
However, Rem raised a concern that had been weighing on everyone's minds.
"Wouldn't it be extremely dangerous to use that magic again?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
Her question struck directly at the heart of the issue.
After all, if even someone like the Great Sage—Subaru himself—had been unable to avoid being affected by the accidental activation, then what hope did any of them have of resisting it?
The very same incomplete spell had already torn Subaru, Reina, and every spirit contracted to him away from their world.
If it malfunctioned again, or if the magic behaved unpredictably as before, the consequences could easily turn into yet another disaster, possibly one even worse than the first.
None of them possessed the ability to stop it, and all of them knew that bitter truth far too well.
"That is exactly why I must continue improving the magic," Echidna responded, meeting Rem's worried gaze with a serious expression.
"I will reinforce the safety layers as much as possible and drastically tighten the conditions required for activation. There really is no alternative. If we ever want to avoid a repeat of what happened, then this work is necessary."
She paused for a moment, her eyes lowering as she thought about the irreversible outcome of her earlier experiment.
"And do not worry… I will not attempt to use the magic again until I have implemented a proper minimum level of safety modifications. What happened before can't be undone, but I refuse to let the same mistake happen twice."
Either they could take an active approach and work tirelessly to bring Zero and the others back, or they could simply sit still and hope for his eventual return.
But Echidna had already made her stance clear.
She refused to take the passive route.
She knew full well that the incident had occurred because of her own miscalculation, and in her mind, that meant it was her absolute responsibility to correct the situation she had created.
"Very well then, Echidna. You may continue your research," Emilia said firmly, stepping into her role with a seriousness that surprised even some of the people in the room.
"However, before you even think about using that magic again, you must drastically improve every safety condition. And secondly, we will need to assign you a different workshop—one far more isolated and secure than the previous one. We cannot have another accident happening anywhere near populated areas."
Echidna let out a small giggle, not mocking but clearly amused.
"It's honestly entertaining, seeing you give commands like this," she said, her dark eyes locking with Emilia's amethyst ones.
"I never imagined a situation where you would take this kind of authoritative role. To be perfectly honest, you're a girl who usually irritates me just by standing near me. I always thought of you as a crybaby—well, at least that's what you used to be."
Emilia didn't react with anger or embarrassment at the insult.
Instead, she maintained her composure and answered with a surprisingly steady and authoritative tone.
"Zero is not here right now," she said.
"In his absence, I am the one who holds the highest authority within our group. It is my responsibility to lead all of you and to give the necessary orders until he returns."
Echidna let out a soft, almost playful chuckle before responding, "Darling, I'm not refusing your orders or trying to undermine your authority. It's simply that… the magic I created is designed with my current workshop registered as coordinate '0'. If I relocate, the entire array will require a new set of foundational calculations, adjustments, and recalibrations. It won't make the spell impossible, but it will slow the entire process down and add layers of unnecessary complications."
Emilia fell silent at that explanation.
The others exchanged glances, clearly unsure whether Echidna was being truthful or if she was trying to use technical excuses to keep her preferred workspace.
The possibility of deception crossed their minds, considering Echidna's reputation and personality.
But Emilia, after a moment of thought, shook her head internally.
She understood something the others didn't as deeply except Geuse—Echidna's attachment to Subaru.
Despite how absurd or twisted her feelings might look from the outside, Emilia knew that Echidna's affection toward Zero was real.
It wasn't a fake sentiment, nor a calculated manipulation.
Because of that, Emilia trusted that Echidna would not deliberately lie or mislead them about anything involving Zero's safety or his return.
Besides, Emilia remembered something else—something Subaru himself used to repeat whenever someone made a mistake.
Zero believed that people deserved second chances.
And depending on the situation, maybe even a third one.
He had always shown that philosophy through his own actions.
That belief had influenced Emilia deeply, and it became one of the reasons she chose to give Echidna the benefit of the doubt, even now.
"Very well then, we will tighten the security around your workshop… and in addition to that, we need you to implement several preventive measures before you resume your research," Emilia declared firmly.
At her words, both Puck and Geuse puffed out their chests with visible pride, their reactions almost perfectly synchronized.
It was as if they were silently shouting, 'See?! This is my daughter!'
Their expressions practically radiated satisfaction.
Echidna shifted her gaze toward them and said, "In that case, Geuse, Puck—if the two of you assist me, we can complete the necessary preparations much faster."
Her tone carried a mix of practicality and familiarity.
Geuse had been someone she personally knew long before her resurrection, someone whose presence she could rely on.
And although Puck no longer remembered his past with her, the fact still remained—she was his creator, and his powers, wisdom, and instincts would be extremely helpful for the delicate work ahead.
"What about adding my amazin' self to the team?!" Garfiel asked enthusiastically, cracking his knuckles and leaning forward like he was ready to fight the magic circle itself.
Echidna glanced at him, unimpressed but not dismissive, and replied, "Hai, hai… you can come along—but only if the Leader approves it."
She turned her head back toward Emilia, making it clear the decision was not hers to make.
Emilia considered it for a brief moment and then nodded decisively.
"Very well. The matter of bringing Zero back takes priority over everything else we are dealing with. If Garfiel's help can speed things up even a little, then his involvement is welcome."
She then looked toward Geuse and Puck again and added, "Papa Geuse, Puck, I'll be leaving this responsibility to both of you. Please make sure to keep a close eye on her and ensure that nothing goes wrong during her research."
She said this while looking directly at her two fathers, and both Puck and Geuse responded immediately, nodding with absolute confidence.
"Leave it up to me!" they declared at the exact same time.
The moment they realized they had spoken in perfect unison, the two of them shot sharp glares at each other, as if offended by the idea that they had accidentally synced up.
After a brief silent standoff, they both looked away with an exaggerated huff, refusing to acknowledge the coincidence.
Emilia blinked and tilted her head in mild confusion.
She genuinely had no idea what that bizarre little exchange between them meant.
Was that supposed to be some special signal between fathers? Some kind of fatherly rivalry thing? Or was she just overthinking it?
She couldn't tell, and honestly, she felt it was better not to question it.
Regardless, with this final arrangement settled and all necessary decisions made, the official search for Subaru—or Zero, as most of them called him—finally began in earnest.
Everyone in the mansion understood that from this point forward, every action mattered, every effort counted, and every moment without him only strengthened their resolve to bring him back safely.
To be continued...
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