Chapter 340: A Calamity in Human Form

"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."

Her words immediately caught the attention of the surrounding officials. Several representatives leaned forward, their earlier uncertainty giving way to suspicion.

"So we were right," one of them said. "You do know something about this mysterious woman, don’t you, Chief Sara?"

Sara glanced toward the central holographic screen before answering.

"Before I reveal anything about her identity, there’s something I need to confirm. I want to know exactly which locations she attacked. Were they populated cities, military installations, or isolated regions?"

The World Government representative exchanged a glance with the other officials.

"According to the reports we’ve gathered, most of her targets were abandoned facilities, remote locations, and military bases. However, several countries have reported damage to surrounding infrastructure as well."

One of the Russian representatives immediately activated his microphone, his expression grim as he examined the latest reports.

"По нашим данным, она уничтожила три заброшенных военных объекта за последние несколько часов. К счастью, жертв среди гражданского населения не зафиксировано, но разрушения оказались значительно серьёзнее, чем мы предполагали."

("According to our information, she destroyed three abandoned military facilities over the past few hours. Fortunately, no civilian casualties have been reported, but the destruction was far more severe than we initially expected.")

A French official followed, displaying photographs of a ruined installation.

"На нашей территории были уничтожены два изолированных объекта. Один из них находился под землёй, но после её появления от него остался только огромный кратер."

("Two isolated facilities were destroyed in our territory. One of them was underground, but after her arrival, nothing remained except an enormous crater.")

He paused before adding in English.

"Our investigation teams haven’t found any civilian casualties so far. However, the surrounding area has suffered considerable damage."

Soon, more representatives began presenting their findings, each speaking in their native language while the conference’s translation system displayed the corresponding English text beneath their holographic screens.

The South Korean representative appeared particularly troubled as he opened a casualty report.

"?? ??? ?? ? ?? ??????. ?? ? ?? ??? ?? ??? ????, ???? ?? ???? ????? ?? ?? ??? ?????."

("Two facilities in remote areas were destroyed. One of them was close to a civilian settlement, and several people were injured when nearby buildings collapsed from the impact.")

He looked toward the other officials before continuing.

"According to the witnesses, she didn’t attack anyone directly. But she didn’t stop after the destruction either. She simply continued flying toward her next destination."

A Japanese official then activated his microphone, displaying a series of satellite images showing Erza’s movements.

"我々の分析によると,彼女は陸上では音速に近い速度で飛行しています.しかし,海上ではさらに加速しており,次の国に到達するまでの移動速度は,通常の航空機をはるかに上回っていました."

("According to our analysis, she flies at speeds approaching the speed of sound over land. However, she accelerates even further over the ocean, traveling far faster than conventional aircraft before reaching the next country.")

The official adjusted his glasses, his expression growing serious.

"Our scientists initially believed the satellite recordings contained errors. But after comparing the timestamps and her recorded positions, we confirmed that the difference was real. We still don’t know how fast she can actually fly."

An Indian representative then spoke, gesturing toward the red marks scattered across his country’s map.

"????? ???? ?? ?? ???????? ?? ?????? ???? ??? ???? ?? ?? ???? ?? ????? ?? ????? ??? ????? ????? ?? ??? ??, ???? ????? ????? ?? ????? ?? ???????? ?? ??? ?? ???? ??????? ??, ???? ?????? ?? ???? ???? ?? ??? ???? ???"

("Two remote facilities in our country have also been completely destroyed. At one location, an enormous crater formed in the ground, while at another, the surrounding rocks were shattered. Fortunately, there have been no reports of civilian injuries.")

He glanced at the photographs before continuing.

"Both locations were far from populated areas. Our teams are still examining the destruction, but the damage is unlike anything we’ve encountered before."

Finally, a representative from Saudi Arabia activated his microphone. Behind him, a satellite photograph displayed a ruined installation surrounded by an unusual layer of frost.

"??? ?????? ????? ????? ?? ???? ??????? ?????????. ??? ?????? ?? ?????? ??? ????????? ??? ??? ??????? ???? ??? ????? ?? ?????? ??? ??????? ??? ?????? ????? ??????? ?? ???????."

("A remote facility was destroyed in one of our desert regions. No civilian injuries were reported, but investigation teams discovered layers of ice surrounding the site despite the high temperatures in the area.")

The representative looked toward the other officials.

"What’s particularly strange is that the ice appeared shortly after the destruction. Even now, our investigators cannot explain what caused it."

As the reports came to an end, the conference chamber fell into an uneasy silence. Although the extent of the destruction differed from country to country, the officials had confirmed one thing: the mysterious woman was moving across the world at extraordinary speed, destroying isolated facilities and leaving behind damage that their investigators struggled to explain.

Sara quietly studied the locations displayed across the holographic map. Abandoned military facilities, remote compounds, and underground installations—places that would ordinarily attract little public attention. Yet she knew that demons often concealed their activities in precisely such locations.

So that’s what she’s doing.

Erza wasn’t attacking countries indiscriminately. She was searching for traces of the demons, tearing through every possible hiding place in the hope of discovering where they had taken Yuuta.

Still, the reports of injured civilians troubled Sara. Erza might not be deliberately targeting innocent people, but her desperation was beginning to affect those around her.

Sara finally raised her head.

"I see. In that case, I can assure you that this woman is not your enemy."

The statement immediately caused another wave of murmurs.

"Not our enemy?" one official repeated. "Chief Venom, are you saying she’s human?"

"No," Sara answered. "She isn’t human either."

The officials stared at her.

"Then what exactly is she?"

Sara hesitated briefly before responding.

"An existence you should never provoke. As long as you don’t interfere with her, she has no reason to deliberately harm your countries."

One of the military commanders frowned.

"Chief Sara, what does that mean? Are you telling us that we should simply allow an unidentified being to roam freely across our territories?"

Another representative immediately joined him.

"This is absurd! Our facilities are being destroyed, our military forces are on high alert, and you’re asking us to remain silent while a walking disaster moves across the world?"

Several officials began arguing again, but before the situation could escalate, the World Government representative raised his hand.

"Enough. Let Chief Venom finish."

The surrounding holograms gradually fell silent. The representative then looked directly at Sara, his expression unusually serious.

"Chief Venom, I want you to answer one question."

Sara nodded.

"Go ahead."

"Is this woman from Nova?"

Sara’s expression changed slightly. She hadn’t expected him to narrow down her identity so quickly.

"Why do you ask?"

"Our intelligence officers traced some of her earliest recorded movements toward Nova. We couldn’t confirm where she originally came from, but we suspected there might be a connection."

Sara glanced at the photograph of Erza before answering.

"Yes. She’s from Nova."

The representative remained silent for a moment before asking another question.

"And how powerful is she compared to you?"

Sara looked toward the photograph displayed above the conference table.

"Far more powerful."

The representative frowned.

"How much more powerful?"

Sara turned her attention back toward him.

"Enough that even I wouldn’t dare provoke her."

The entire conference chamber fell silent.

The officials stared at Sara in disbelief. Only minutes earlier, they had witnessed the terrifying presence of the ancient vampire standing before them, and now she was admitting that the mysterious woman possessed power beyond even her own.

Sara allowed them a moment to absorb her words before continuing.

"However, you can rest assured about one thing. She is an enemy of the demons, not humanity. Right now, she’s searching for the Demon King, and I believe the destruction will stop once she finds what she’s looking for."

"The Demon King...?" one official repeated uneasily.

Sara nodded, deliberately avoiding any explanation of why Erza was searching for him.

The World Government representative leaned back in his chair, considering her words.

"Chief Venom, you seem to know quite a lot about this woman. You know where she’s from, how powerful she is, and even what she’s searching for. Yet you still haven’t told us who she is."

Sara met his gaze without hesitation.

"Because revealing her identity won’t help you deal with the situation. Right now, what matters is understanding her movements and preventing further casualties."

The representative studied her for several seconds. Although he appeared dissatisfied, he eventually nodded.

"Very well. We’ll leave that question aside for now. However, you must understand that we cannot simply ignore the destruction she’s causing."

"I know," Sara replied. "And I’m not asking you to."

One of the military commanders leaned forward.

"Then what exactly are you suggesting? If she enters one of our cities or attacks a military installation, are our soldiers supposed to stand aside and watch?"

"I’m suggesting that you prioritize civilian evacuation over confrontation," Sara answered. "If she approaches one of your facilities, withdraw your personnel and establish a safe perimeter. Do not attempt to intercept or capture her. Contact the Agency immediately."

The commander’s expression hardened.

"Chief Venom, with all due respect, you’re asking us to surrender our authority over our own territories."

"No. I’m asking you to avoid a battle you cannot win."

Sara gestured toward the holographic map, where dozens of red crosses marked the locations Erza had already destroyed.

"Look at those reports. She’s crossed enormous distances in minutes, destroyed heavily fortified locations, and disappeared before your forces could respond. Yet none of your governments has reported a deliberate attack against a civilian population. Whatever she’s searching for, her targets appear to be specific."

The World Government representative studied her carefully.

"Then can you guarantee that she won’t harm innocent people?"

"No," Sara answered without hesitation. "And I won’t insult you by making a promise I cannot keep. I know her well enough to believe that harming innocent people isn’t her objective, but she’s desperate, and desperation can make even the most reasonable person act recklessly."

Her expression grew serious.

"If your military attempts to stop her, she may interpret it as an attempt to prevent her from reaching her objective. And if she retaliates, your soldiers won’t be the only ones caught in the destruction."

A heavy silence settled over the conference.

"So what should we do if civilians are threatened?" the representative asked.

"Protect them. Evacuate them, provide medical assistance, and do everything necessary to keep them alive. I’m not asking you to abandon your people."

Sara looked directly at the representative.

"I’m asking you to recognize the difference between protecting your citizens and provoking someone your weapons cannot stop."

Nobody interrupted her.

Sara turned toward the satellite image one last time, her gaze settling on the silver-haired woman standing amid the ruins.

"She’s not your enemy. Please don’t give her a reason to become one."

The World Government representative remained silent for a moment, considering Sara’s warning before finally nodding.

"Very well, Chief Venom. We understand the situation, and we’ll instruct our military forces to avoid unnecessary confrontation with this woman."

He then turned toward the surrounding holographic screens, addressing the officials from the other nations.

"From this moment onward, I want every government to continue tracking her movements. Any new sightings, satellite footage, or information regarding her activities must be forwarded directly to Chief Sara and the Libeus Agency. Make sure nothing is withheld."

Several representatives nodded in agreement, while others immediately began relaying the instructions to their respective departments.

"We’ll hold another emergency conference once we’ve gathered sufficient information," the representative continued, turning his attention back toward Sara. "And I sincerely hope that by then, Chief Venom, we’ll finally have a clear answer regarding who this woman is and what exactly she’s trying to accomplish."

Sara maintained her composed expression and gave a small nod.

"I understand. I’ll do everything I can to provide you with an explanation."

"Very well. Then we’ll conclude this meeting for now. Thank you for your cooperation, everyone."

One by one, the holographic screens began disappearing as the representatives disconnected from the conference. Soon, the enormous chamber fell quiet, leaving Sara standing before the fading projection of the world map.

She stared at the last remaining image of Erza, her expression gradually growing troubled.

"Your Majesty... just how far are you planning to go?"

The silver-haired woman in the photograph stood amid the ruins, her violet eyes carrying a desperation that Sara understood all too well. Looking at Erza now, she couldn’t help remembering herself from long ago, when she had searched endlessly through the darkness for Anaya, refusing to stop even when every passing hour made her hope harder to hold onto.

She remembered the sleepless nights, the fear of not knowing whether Anaya was still alive, and the desperate belief that if she searched just a little longer, she would eventually find her.

And she had found her.

But there had been no reunion waiting.

All Sara had been able to hold was Anaya’s lifeless body.

Her fingers slowly curled into a fist as the memory resurfaced. Even after all these years, she could still remember calling Anaya’s name, hoping for an answer that would never come.

And now, looking at Erza, Sara saw the same desperation she had once carried.

The Dragon Queen was searching for her husband, tearing through every possible hiding place because she couldn’t bear the thought of losing him. Sara knew where that path could lead, and the thought of Erza suffering the same fate was something she couldn’t accept.

"No..."

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"I won’t let you experience that misery, Your Majesty. Not you too."

Sara closed her eyes for a moment, forcing the painful memories back before turning toward the conference table.

"Monday."

"Yes, Chief Sara?"

The familiar voice of the Agency’s artificial intelligence answered immediately.

"I want you to search through every record we have concerning demonic activity. Hidden strongholds, suspected hideouts, abandoned facilities, underground organizations—anything that could be connected to the demons."

"Understood, Chief."

"And gather the locations Her Highness has destroyed tonight. Compare them with our intelligence reports from the past century. I want to know whether any of those places were previously connected to demonic activity, even if the information was never confirmed."

"Beginning cross-reference analysis."

Sara continued without hesitation.

"Also, access the Shadow Corps’ intelligence archives. Raven and his people spent years investigating demonic movements. There may be something in their reports that our other divisions overlooked. Cross-reference everything and identify any possible connection that could lead us to the demons’ remaining strongholds."

"Understood. All available intelligence records will be analyzed and compared with the reported destruction sites."

"Good. Report anything unusual to me immediately, no matter how insignificant it may seem."

"Yes, Chief Sara."

With her orders given, Sara folded her arms and turned back toward the enormous holographic map. New reports continued arriving from different countries, and with each update, another red mark appeared somewhere across the world.

Erza was still moving.

From one country to another, from one ruined stronghold to the next, the Dragon Queen continued her desperate search, hoping that somewhere among the destruction, she would finally discover a clue leading to her beloved husband.

Sara watched the growing number of red marks in silence.

Please, Your Majesty... let us find him before it’s too late.

To Be Continued...