11:37 PM, Council Chambers, World Serpent's Headquarters

In response to the return of the 2nd Herrscher, an emergency special session was held by 7 core members of World Serpent. They included Madara, Ghost(Obito), Raven, Owl, Gray Serpent, Jackal, and Hare. These people were selected by Madara himself for this significant conference. Within the large room, mentioned individuals gathered around the meeting table and took their seats. At the head of the table, the Sire of World Serpent got up from the power seat and presided over the meeting.

"As you all know, we are gathered here today to have an emergency meeting. Gray Serpent now will present all details about the current situation for us." As Madara finished his sentence, Gray Serpent began his report and provided them with information on the return of Herrscher of the Void.

"Recently, our agents in Schicksal reported some questionable moves within this organization. Digging more into it, they found out that Otto Apocalypse, the Schicksal Overseer was planning to revive Herrscher of the Void for unknown reasons. I believe the return of the Void Queen will cause more Honkai eruptions in the world." Gray Serpent later turned on the screen in front of them, showing a silver-haired girl sleeping inside a pod. At that moment, both Madara and Ghost widened their eyes in shock.

"The girl we're watching is K-423, also called "Kiana Kaslana". She's a clone of the real one, serving as a perfect vessel for Herrscher of the Void, Sirin." Gray Serpent said.

Seeing the evident disbelief and confusion through the look of the two Uchihas, Raven asked them straight away.

"Why do you two look so surprised? Have you ever met her before?"

"Actually, about 10 days ago... we did encounter that girl and her friends while they were escorting a Valkyrie named Wendy." Ghost answered which got Gray Serpent's attention.

"Wait a second! Wendy!? Isn't she Herrscher of the Wind?" Hearing that information, Gray Serpent immediately stopped to question him.

"Yeah, that's right! There is no need to worry, Madara has killed her."

"Lord Madara killed her? That sounds impressive but has he gotten the Herrscher core yet?" This time, Owl also joined the chat.

"He used the Amaterasu to burn her. I'm pretty sure that not even her ashes would remain." Ghost's response left Gray Serpent completely speechless. He clapped on his forehead and sighed. How's disappointed! They wasted a Herrscher core that could be used for Project Stigma.

"What's wrong with it? Isn't it the right thing to destroy a Herrscher in the beginning to prevent a disaster?" Madara spoke up.

"The Herrscher cores are an important factor contributing to Project Stigma. Without them, Project Stigma can never be conducted. After all, It's not your fault since you didn't know anything about it back then." Gray Serpent then revealed Herrscher cores as a catalyst to activate Project Stigma.

"There are too many secrets about this Project Stigma. Gray Serpent obviously is keeping some knowledge about it from me." Madara said to himself.

"Alright, back to the main subject!" Gray Serpent claimed. "I want to hear all of you's opinions to decide an appropriate response on this move of Schicksal."

"How about Anti-Entropy? What is their response to it?" After knowing this, Jackal finally spoke up, wondering how another faction besides them would act.

"Since a year ago, we haven't received any news about "Welt" as if he went missing. However, our intelligence force informed that Einstein and Tesla would have a hand in this." Gray Serpent stated.

"As expected of Anti-Entropy, they aren't going to stay out of this mess." Ghost said. He then looked toward his partner, who had been mostly silent since Gray Serpent started his presentation.

"Anyways, just to remind you all, the final decision will be made by our great leader. It depends significantly on his concern about whether this matter should be treated as a serious threat." Ghost gave a speech with many implications. His intention was to encourage Madara to take this opportunity as an excuse to strike Schicksal. Right after that, everyone turned their eyes toward the Uchiha lord at once. They were all waiting for his answer.

The awkward silence remained for seconds until Madara finally spoke up.

"Schicksal has always been our greatest rival for more than 1500 years. Its influence is present across the world and is the leading organization in the fight against the Honkai. By reviving Herrscher of the Void, they pose a serious threat not only to us but to humanity as well. Fortunately, this opportunity has come at the right time. We totally can take advantage of it as a perfect excuse to take Schicksal down."

"Excuse me, my Sire. So you want to wage "a full-scale war" against Schicksal?" Jackal asked in a concerned voice. She obviously had a grudge against Schicksal and their Valkyries. However, declaring war on them was a different story, it would result in World War III immediately with the death of billions of lives. Because of that reason, their organization had always worked in the shadow and avoided any conflict with Schicksal. Except for Madara and Ghost, every member of World Serpent was well aware of this fact.

Through their facial expressions, Madara and Obito came to realize the dilemma they were facing. On the one hand, they wanted to launch a preemptive strike against Schicksal, preventing Otto's attempt in resurrecting Herrcher of the Void. Nevertheless, World Serpent was not ready for a fight against the most powerful organization in the world. Therefore, they must consider other options they had at the moment. In the end, Gray Serpent was the one who put an end to this intense atmosphere by making a suggestion.

"How's about this? Let's have a vote, which option gets the most votes shall be our response to this move of Schicksal."

"First, as lord Madara suggested, launching a strike against Schicksal." Gray Serpent stated. Right after that, both Uchiha raised their hand to approve that solution. Up to this moment, their measure already had 2 votes.

"Alright, moving to the second one, VETO. Who is against the first suggestion?" Just after Gray Serpent finished his quote, Jackal and Hare immediately raised their hand at once.

"How's about Raven and Owl?" Gray Serpent looked toward two next members who had not voted yet.

"I abstain from voting."

"Me either." Raven and Owl answered indifferently.

"Wow, the votes are so balanced! 2 in favor, 2 against, and 2 abstentions! So the result is a draw with 6 votes have been cast. That means the decision coming out is up to my last vote. It will decide whether Schicksal shall be punished for their deed or not." Gray Serpent chuckled but under his mask, he was plotting an ambitious plan. If this plan succeeded, they would get their hands on the Herrscher gems that Schicksal currently possessed. After having those gems, his secret intention could finally be fulfilled.

"And I vote for... a strike against Schicksal." Gray Serpent declared, his support for the two Uchihas was unquestionable. In exchange for Madara becoming the leader of the World Serpent, he had promised to follow all of Madara's decisions without question. Still, the change in Gray Serpent's stance got other members in shock. In the very beginning, the anti-conflict policy was created by him in order to prevent a war with Schicksal. Ironically, he was the first person to go against his own words. Meanwhile, Madara and Obito were pleased since Gray Serpent was on their side. In spite of that, Gray Serpent later added a condition in order to let it happen.

"But listen, only lord Madara and Ghost are allowed to participate in this operation. Because they just joined World Serpent recently, it's likely that Schicksal doesn't have any traces of them for now. It will guarantee our organization has nothing to do with this conflict."

"Then we've settled this problem already. This meeting is over and you all can leave now." Madara told them. After hearing that from their Sire, Hare and Jackal immediately quit the council chambers.

"Let's get out of this place." Raven said to her comrade but did not receive any reply.

"Hey Owl, are you listening to me?" It turned out his mind had focused on another person the whole time of this conference. The woman named Hare was the one responsible for his distraction. Indeed, she made him feel so familiar, reminding him of his crush, Ana Schariac. Owl wondered if Hare and Ana were related by any means, maybe she was also a Schariac. While deep in his thoughts, Owl suddenly realized Raven had been calling him all this time.

"Uhm... sorry, I didn't notice you."

"That's fine! Let's go." Both of them then went away, leaving Gray Serpent and two Uchihas in the large room. Now they were the only ones remaining, they tacitly understood each other's intentions for staying here. It was time to plan some tactics for their preemptive strike on Schicksal. They would never make an assault without a particular strategy.

"About our strategy, I have to remind you of our two core goals in this operation. First, the Herrscher gems. Not to mention the Void core inside K-423, Schicksal currently possesses 3 Herrscher gems in total. They are the Gem of Serenity, the Gem of Conquest, and the Gem of Haste."

"Second but not less important is to weaken Schicksal by destroying their elite forces. Otto Apocalyse has deployed his 5 best Valkyries squads including the Immortal Blades in Schicksal headquarters. They are summoned to make sure the return of the 2nd Herrscher is not interrupted by other factions."

"So how many Valkyries are there for Schicksal headquarters?" Madara questioned in his deep tone. As a warrior, Madara's principle always was to show no mercy to his enemies. If these Valkyries stood in his way, he was required to wipe them out.

"About 180 with 36 Valkyries for each squad." Gray Serpent then turned toward Ghost, who would have a decisive role in the next battle.

"Ghost... I believe your space manipulation ability can be used to counter Herrscher of the Void's powers. After all, there is nothing against Void power better than a power of its kind."

"I get your plan. You want me to deal with the 2nd Herrscher while Madara fights Schicksal's Valkyries, don't you?" Ghost asked him back.

"Indeed, That's the whole point of the plan! As the first goal, taking the Herrscher gems is our priority. While you're doing that, lord Madara will buy some time for you by catching Schicksal forces' attention. In addition, he will also exterminate as many of their Valkyries as possible. By the way, remember our strategy is a Blitzkrieg. That means once the goals are achieved, you two must retreat immediately." Gray Serpent explained in detail. The two Uchiha nodded to him as they totally got what they had to do in their missions.

On The Next Day, Schicksal's headquarters

Among the sky above the Mediterranean, there floated an enormous base of the most powerful organization in the world. Preparing for the return of 2nd Herrscher, Schicksal's headquarters was guarded heavily by the 5 strongest Valkyrie squads. Moreover, its domed energy shield was turned on all the time to guarantee not even a fly could get in.

Even so, Otto's flawless plan did not go as exactly as he predicted. The interference of the World Serpent had a big impact on the battle and reversed its situation. A swirl twisted the space until two men walked out of thin air. Following their plan, Madara and Obito separated to execute their own mission.

Along his way, Madara activated his Rinnegan to locate Schicksal's Valkyrie squads. As he expected, their life forces appeared like light spots, densely concentrated in the same place. Madara suddenly had a wide creepy smile, his heart pounded faster with raging blood. This feeling, it had been a long time since the last time he felt it. This was the feeling of a real battle! He finally could savor battle again!

Once he reached the place, Madara landed on the top of a tower. He looked down on the Valkyries below while crossing his arms. In addition to that, the Uchiha also switched his eyes back to the Sharingan. There was no need for him to use Rinnegan to kill these girls, it would look like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

After a while, some Valkyries eventually noticed Madara's arrival. However, it took them too long to realize his presence and it was their biggest mistake. Madara had come up with a surprise strike to begin this battle. In a fight against Madara Uchiha, you should never be in a passive position because he would continuously attack until you were dead.

"Who's that man?"

"What's he doing there?"

"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Caterwaul!" Madara expelled several dragon-headed fireballs from his mouth toward his enemies. The strike resulted in the death of two A-ranked Valkyrie and some were burned slightly. Moreover, Schicksal's Valkyries were distracted as he wanted, they now had to pay full attention to deal with him. Meanwhile, Obito would have plenty of time to beat Herrscher of the Void and take her Herrscher gems.

To be continued...