Chapter 339: The Woman Who Terrified the World

Libeus City — Agency Headquarters

4:00 AM — Following the Demon Invasion

Despite the early hour, the Agency headquarters in Libeus City was anything but peaceful.

An emergency global conference had been called, bringing together high-ranking government officials, military commanders, and Agency chiefs from across the world.

Yet the reason for the gathering was no longer simply the demon invasion that had struck several regions only hours earlier.

Something else had happened afterward.

Inside the central conference chamber, Sara Venom stood before a massive holographic projection. Dozens of screens floated around the circular chamber, displaying officials from different nations and international organizations.

Their expressions ranged from barely restrained anger to genuine fear, and with every new report arriving, the atmosphere grew increasingly hostile.

According to satellite footage, an unidentified woman had begun moving across multiple regions at an almost impossible speed.

Wherever she appeared, another location was left devastated.

Several governments had attempted to track her movements, but none of their forces had managed to approach her directly, while the destruction she left behind had placed military commands across the world on high alert.

"Chief Sara! We demand an explanation!" one official shouted through the holographic display.

"We’ve been trying to contact you for hours! Not one of your Agency representatives could be reached while our countries were facing a calamity!"

Another screen immediately brightened as a representative from the European Union joined the argument.

"He’s right. Something extremely serious is happening, and we’ve received almost no information from Libeus.

Our governments have invested billions into your country’s Agency because we were assured that when threats of this scale appeared, information would be shared with us."

Several officials voiced their agreement, speaking over one another as accusations filled the chamber.

Some demanded access to the Agency’s intelligence, while others questioned why Libeus had apparently known more about the demons than the nations currently dealing with the aftermath.

Sara remained silent, her hands resting against the conference table as she listened without defending herself.

Normally, she would have shut down this kind of argument before it even began, but this time she couldn’t completely blame them.

Because she had failed too.

Despite the Agency’s technology, surveillance systems, intelligence network, and years of preparation, Sara hadn’t anticipated the demons’ true objective.

She had become so confident in the defenses they had built that she had failed to account for an enemy that never intended to fight according to human rules.

The invasion had been a diversion.

Hundreds of Agency soldiers were dead.

Raven and most of the Shadow Corps were gone. Entire cities had become battlefields, and while the Agency desperately responded to attacks across Libeus, the demons had accomplished what they had actually come for.

They had taken Yuuta.

Sara’s fingers slowly tightened against the edge of the table.

Eventually, the central holographic screen expanded, revealing several officials seated beneath the emblem of the World Government. Their appearance immediately quieted the surrounding arguments. They had remained silent until now, apparently waiting for Sara to respond on her own.

She hadn’t.

"Sara Nyxara Venom."

The use of her full name finally made Sara raise her head.

"We have respected your authority until now. You were the one who first shared critical information regarding the existence of demons, and your Agency has done more than any other organization to help humanity understand how to identify, confront, and survive them."

The official’s expression hardened.

"But what happened tonight cannot simply be ignored. We demand an explanation for the failure in communication during the invasion. After that, we will address the primary reason every government represented in this conference is furious."

He paused, studying Sara through the holographic display.

"However, Chief Venom, there is something else I believe needs to be addressed. For years, humanity has relied on your Agency. We have provided funding, military cooperation, and access to our territories because we trusted your judgment."

His expression grew colder.

"But tonight has made us question whether that trust was misplaced."

Sara’s fingers stopped moving against the conference table.

"What did you just say?"

"Perhaps we have given you too much authority. After all, you are not human, Chief Venom. You possess knowledge and abilities that none of us can fully understand, and yet we have allowed you to decide what information humanity deserves to know."

Several officials exchanged uncomfortable glances, but the representative continued.

"How are we supposed to know that your Agency hasn’t been concealing information from us? How can we be certain that you haven’t been deciding humanity’s future according to your own interests?"

For the first time since the meeting began, Sara slowly raised her gaze toward the screens.

A deep crimson glow emerged within her eyes, cutting through the dim conference chamber.

The exhaustion and guilt that had weighed upon her throughout the night were gradually replaced by something far colder.

As she straightened, an oppressive presence spread through the room, causing the Agency personnel stationed near the entrance to instinctively stiffen.

"Humanity’s future...?"

Sara repeated those words quietly, almost as though she couldn’t believe what she had just heard.

"Tell me something. Have you all forgotten who you’re speaking to?"

The World Government representative finally noticed the change in her expression. His lips parted slightly, but before he could respond, Sara continued.

"Do you truly believe that because I chose to cooperate with your governments, you have earned the right to stand there and question my loyalty?"

"Chief Venom, that is not..."

"Then be silent and listen."

Her command immediately silenced him. Across the holographic screens, nearly a hundred officials stared at Sara, and several of the older representatives exchanged uneasy glances.

They remembered what the younger officials seemed to have forgotten: Sara Nyxara Venom was a vampire who had extended her hand to humanity when demons first threatened their world.

Her cooperation had never been something their governments could simply demand.

"When humanity first learned about the existence of demons, who was it that provided you with the information necessary to fight them?" Sara asked, her crimson eyes settling on the central holographic screen. "Who taught your soldiers how to identify their weaknesses, helped establish your defenses, and shared knowledge that your governments lacked?"

Nobody answered.

"I did. I guided your nations through a threat you barely understood. I shared my resources, my intelligence, and everything the Agency had learned so that humanity would have a chance to survive."

Sara slowly looked around the chamber, allowing her words to reach every representative present.

"And don’t misunderstand me. I didn’t do those things because I considered myself humanity’s savior. I had my own reasons for cooperating with you, and I have never pretended otherwise. But regardless of my intentions, I kept my promises. I helped your nations prepare, fought alongside your forces, and never once demanded that you kneel before me or repay what I had done."

Her fingers tightened against the edge of the conference table.

"Yet now, because I failed to answer your calls for a few hours, you dare to stand before me and accuse me of betraying humanity?"

The conference fell silent.

Nearly a hundred officials remained motionless behind their holographic screens, and even the representatives of the World Government could no longer meet Sara’s gaze directly. Several of the older officials lowered their heads, remembering how helpless humanity had once been before the Agency began sharing its knowledge.

However, as Sara looked at their frightened expressions, her anger gradually faded. These people had also endured a terrifying night, and their accusations had been born from fear and uncertainty. She understood that better than anyone.

Sara closed her eyes and released a long, exhausted sigh. When she opened them again, the crimson glow had faded.

"...No. Forgive me."

The sudden change in her tone caught everyone off guard.

"I apologize. I allowed my emotions to get the better of me. You have every right to be concerned about what happened tonight, and as Chief of the Agency, I should have explained the situation before allowing this meeting to escalate."

For a moment, the officials simply stared at her. Then the representative of the World Government slowly lowered his head.

"No, Chief Venom. We owe you an apology. You have helped humanity countless times, and we should not have forgotten that. Whatever our concerns may be, we had no right to accuse you without understanding what happened."

Several other representatives followed his example, their earlier hostility replaced by embarrassment.

Sara shook her head slightly.

"There’s no need for that. I understand why you’re upset."

She paused, her expression becoming serious once more.

"As for why the Libeus Agency failed to respond to your communications... I wasn’t deliberately ignoring your governments. We simply had no opportunity to answer."

The representative frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Sara looked toward the central hologram.

"Because while you were trying to contact us, my country was dealing with a massive demon invasion."

For a brief moment, nobody seemed to understand what she had just said. Then several voices erupted almost simultaneously.

"WHAT?!"

"A demon invasion?!"

"Chief Venom, what exactly do you mean by that?!"

The conference descended into an uproar. Officials leaned toward their screens in disbelief, while military commanders immediately began questioning their intelligence officers. Even the World Government representatives appeared stunned, having received no reports suggesting that Libeus itself had become a major battlefield.

Sara waited for the initial shock to settle before continuing.

"Approximately five thousand demons launched a coordinated attack against Libeus tonight. Multiple cities were targeted, our defensive forces were overwhelmed, and hundreds of Agency personnel lost their lives trying to contain the invasion."

The moment she mentioned the number, the officials fell silent again.

"F-Five thousand...?" one of the military commanders repeated, his expression turning pale. "You’re telling us that five thousand demons attacked a single country?"

Sara nodded.

"Yes. And that is why we couldn’t answer your calls."

She lowered her gaze briefly, remembering the reports of the fallen soldiers and the names that would never again appear on the Agency’s active-duty roster.

"While the rest of the world was trying to understand what had happened, we were still fighting to keep our people alive."

The officials exchanged horrified glances. Although several countries had reported demonic attacks throughout the night, none had imagined that Libeus had faced an invasion of such magnitude. One of the military commanders leaned forward, his expression troubled.

"Chief Venom, is the invasion still ongoing? Are your forces still fighting those demons?"

"No," Sara answered, shaking her head. "We barely managed to stop them, but the price was enormous. Countless lives were lost, and according to our latest reports, several civilians are still missing. We’re currently searching for survivors and recovering the bodies of those who died."

A heavy silence followed her explanation. Some officials lowered their heads in sympathy, while others appeared relieved that the invasion had finally been contained. However, that relief lasted only a few seconds before another representative raised a question.

"Wait... if the demon invasion has already been stopped, then who is attacking our countries?"

Sara blinked.

"What?"

The representative turned toward the other holographic screens, his expression becoming increasingly uneasy.

"Our military bases have been receiving emergency reports for the past several hours. Entire locations are being destroyed, and whatever is responsible doesn’t appear to be slowing down."

"That’s happening in our country too!" another official interrupted. "We’ve already lost contact with several facilities!"

"And our satellites have detected the same thing!"

Within moments, the conference erupted into another argument. Officials began speaking over one another, demanding updates from their military commanders while others hurriedly contacted their intelligence departments. The sudden flood of voices made it almost impossible for Sara to understand what anyone was saying.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Sara demanded. "What do you mean your countries are being attacked?"

"Enough!"

The representative of the World Government raised his voice, silencing the surrounding arguments.

"Have you all forgotten where you are? This is an emergency international conference, not a marketplace! Maintain your discipline and allow one person to speak at a time!"

The officials gradually settled down, although the fear on their faces remained obvious. Sara watched them in confusion, unable to understand what could have frightened so many governments after the demon invasion had supposedly ended.

"What exactly is happening?" she asked. "What has everyone so terrified?"

The World Government representative returned his attention to Sara.

"Chief Venom, this is the primary reason we called this conference."

He paused, his expression becoming grave.

"An unidentified woman has appeared across multiple countries. According to our satellite surveillance, she’s traveling at an inhuman speed, crossing enormous distances in an impossibly short amount of time. Wherever she appears, widespread destruction follows."

Sara frowned.

"An unidentified woman?"

"Yes. And her speed isn’t the only problem. Our surveillance equipment has detected an extraordinary amount of energy surrounding her. Some of our analysts have described it as an aura of calamity. We have no idea what kind of existence could possess such power."

The representative gestured toward the surrounding screens.

"Show her the reports."

Immediately, the holographic displays changed. One after another, officials shared satellite images of their respective countries, replacing their faces with maps marked by glowing red crosses. Each cross represented a location that had been destroyed or suffered extensive damage.

South America. Russia. Europe. India.

More reports continued arriving, and the number of marked locations increased with every passing second. Sara stared at the enormous holographic map as additional countries began displaying their own records of destruction.

"You’re telling me one person caused all of this?"

"That’s correct," the representative answered. "We initially believed we were dealing with separate incidents, but after comparing the satellite footage, we discovered that the same individual was responsible."

He paused before continuing.

"What’s even more disturbing is that we haven’t determined her objective. She appears to be searching for something, but we don’t know what. Some of the destroyed locations were previously unknown to our intelligence agencies, and we haven’t established why she targeted them."

The representative’s expression darkened.

"We don’t know whether she’s human, a demon, or something else entirely. But if she continues moving at this rate, the damage could become catastrophic."

Sara remained silent, her attention fixed on the countless red crosses scattered across the map. The more she listened to the officials describing the mysterious woman, the more a terrible suspicion began forming in her mind.

An unidentified woman possessing overwhelming power, traveling across the world at an impossible speed, and leaving entire locations devastated.

There was only one person Sara knew who could accomplish something like that.

Don’t tell me...

Her expression remained composed, but inwardly, she was beginning to panic. If her suspicion was correct, then the situation was far more complicated than the governments realized. The last thing she needed was for the entire world to discover who was responsible.

"Do you have an image of this woman?" Sara asked, carefully controlling her voice.

The World Government representative nodded.

"Yes. Fortunately, one of our satellites managed to capture her appearance."

Sara’s heart sank.

Damn it. They actually have an image?

"Have you managed to identify her?" she asked immediately.

"Not yet. We’ve been comparing the footage against our international databases, but so far, we haven’t found a match."

Sara felt a brief sense of relief. At least the governments hadn’t discovered her identity yet.

"Then show me the image."

The representative raised his hand, and the central holographic display changed. An enormous satellite photograph appeared before everyone, showing a lone woman standing amid the ruins of a devastated stronghold. Her long white-silver hair flowed behind her, while her violet eyes stared coldly toward something beyond the camera’s view.

Sara’s expression stiffened.

Just as she had feared.

Erza Veyla Dragomir.

Although she had already suspected the truth, seeing Erza’s face displayed before nearly a hundred government officials made the situation considerably worse.

Sara’s gaze moved toward the countless red crosses scattered across the surrounding maps. Only now did she fully understand the scale of Erza’s search. The Dragon Queen had been traveling from one demonic stronghold to another, destroying everything in her path in the hope of finding some trace of her missing husband.

And judging by the expression captured in the photograph, Erza had no intention of stopping.

"Chief Venom?"

The World Government representative’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

Sara immediately looked toward him.

"Yes?"

"Do you recognize this woman?"

For a brief moment, Sara said nothing. Nearly a hundred officials were watching her, waiting for an answer, and she understood that whatever she said next could determine how the world’s governments responded to Erza.

If they discovered that the mysterious woman was the Supreme Commander of the Agency, they would undoubtedly demand an explanation for her actions. Some might even attempt to hold the Agency responsible for the destruction, and considering Erza’s current state of mind, that was the last confrontation Sara wanted.

She looked at the photograph again, silently cursing the Dragon Queen’s recklessness.

Your Majesty, I understand you want to find your husband, but couldn’t you have been a little more discreet?

Sara slowly exhaled, forcing herself to remain calm before the watching officials.

"Before I answer that," she said, "tell me something. Has this woman’s identity been revealed to anyone outside this conference?"

The representative frowned.

"No. Why do you ask?"

Sara maintained her composed expression, although her thoughts were racing. For now, Erza’s identity remained a secret, but with so many governments already investigating her, Sara knew that secrecy wouldn’t last forever.

"Because," she replied carefully, "I believe I understand what’s happening."

To Be Continued...

Author’s Note:

Just a small clarification about the timeline: Libeus and the Demonic Kingdom exist on the same Earth. The Demonic Kingdom is hidden deep beneath the Ocean.

For example, when it’s 4:00 AM in Libeus, it may already be a different local time in the Demonic Kingdom because of their geographical locations and time zones. Time itself isn’t moving faster or slower.

And for readers wondering where Yuuta is being held, here’s a hint: You can use the time difference mentioned in the story to work out his approximate location.