“Prepare all systems for launch.”

Eclipse could see it now. In the next upcoming seconds, she will lead an armada fleet to bring her people victory. This was the dream that alluded her for the greater part of her childhood—all the way to the present. With her feet planted on the wooden floorboards, she took a deep breath and let it trickle out. The once in a lifetime moment to be seized stared her down just as much as she stared it down. But now she finally saw it.

The breeze felt nice from the Yorktown class carrier’s deck. Alongside its flat runway, there were no obstructions preventing the wind from cooling her face. Had the sun not been obstructed by the sparse clouds above, then the occasion would have checked off her list for the perfect podium. Alas, nothing valuable in life was so easily obtainable.

Who cared if her deployment Aoi required her to focus solely on the management of the fleet and prevented her from taking offensive action? The view from above was more than enough to satisfy her grandiose desire. That was, so long as her men held the same ideals. Walking to the nose and peering down, she felt the fluttering wave of emotion wash over her. She did what she could to suppress the sudden butterflies in order to maintain her exuded image in front of them.

The crew of thousands that pledged allegiance to her organization all looked up to the sole girl that will commence the operation. All of varying nationalities, but now united under a singular banner. Many, of course, were hesitant to the idea of joining as it was natural not to trust one that was founded by none other than the child of a leader of a nation—with the sole purpose of waging war against them. They called her group the resistance to a neutral oppressor. Many times did she laugh in their faces as they had done in the past. But once the armada grew from one to ten to hundreds, and subsequently learning the invisible wall that caged their lives, they thought twice to scoff at the girl. Now they all waited with bated breath.

The years of painstakingly building up her empire in order to achieve greater opportunities has led up to this moment. It was going to be a difficult, decisive battle, but it was all the more reason to be the stern, charismatic leader, yet battle-hardened commander they always entrusted their faith to. Who else was going to break the everlasting tension between the nations?

Sozuraka, her home nation… she owed them nothing. The only benefit she could give was the fact that she was born with the ability to experience the milky misfortunes, people, sights, sounds, dreams, and desires of life. Against the odds, history will be made. It brought her the greatest sense of pride to bask in this moment.

“We’re going to seize this world.” The girl whispered and cleared her throat. Taking a few steps forward, she rolled her shoulders back and scanned through the crowd one more time. A fluttery feeling in her stomach came about, causing her to crack a grin.

This won’t be for naught.

“Let it be known that I, Eclipse, the Demon King Under the Heavens, shall cast an undying hatred on the people all over these lands! Let it be known that we, the Stargazers, shall use that hatred as the growing pains to our future! No longer will we suffer through the oppression of the past and allow it to dictate our lives in the present! Against Sozuraka, against Alkai, against Chordia, and against Scandia, a new nation shall be born from the ashes of our uprising! To ensure our love-ones’ safety and to our arrival back to them—our rags to riches stories will commence here! This operation will decide the fate of mankind, its past, its present, and its future. Now go forth! We shall become the mighty spearhead that will strike open a new path to our dreams!”

The thunderous roar of the crowd boomed the stage upon completion. The rattling of the floorboards and any loose furnishings shook even the carrier where Eclipse stood on.

Shrieking at the top of your lungs is all well and good, but do not exhaust all that energy for the upcoming battle you fools.

To become the societal cogs that work the system, or to become the mechanics that play God. The fools that blindly followed her to this hell were just as drunk with desire as her. Eclipse couldn’t help but burst out in laughter.

If only… this moment could last an eternity.

“...Kiddo, this is Moonbucks.”

Behind her was a part-time barista operating the cash register of a franchised chain of coffeehouses. The bags underneath his eyes swayed as he scanned the dining area of many entertained by the chuunibyou’s speech. It was the prime time of the coffeehouse, and as such the applause the kid got was the most rowdy it could theoretically get. Some even knocked and split their drinks all over the table, then to the floorboards. Cleaning, unfortunately, was part of his duties. He just wanted to complete his shift in peace, but then suddenly two cosplayers walked up and declared war on their rival coffeehouse branch, Dippin Donuts.

The one who had given such a speech, Eclipse apparently, wore a uniform that should only be reserved for some elite military officers, whatever nation they belong to mattered not. What was most eye-catching was the two horns sticking out of her forehead, but on closer inspection, a headband could be seen underneath which indicated no demon abnormalities. Nevertheless, she was a kid without a doubt.

The second that was standing off to the side wore a cloak over a vest, and a top hat that was, admittedly, very fashionable to him. Maybe he had a thing for vintage clothing all along? Being older than the kid about his age in appearance, maybe… perhaps maybe… The worker shook his head. Disciplinary action was something he’d rather avoid. Either way, the last thing he wanted was for his manager to come out of their office and demand what all of the ruckus was.

To his dismay, Eclipse peered over her shoulder and pointed right at him.

“And you! You shall serve us two orders of cappuccinos! Grande!”

The worker sighed. Why couldn’t they have told him the order first? “Where are your parents? Should a child really be drinking coffee?” He asked, hitting buttons on the register. “Whip cream or no whip cream?”

“That is nothing for you to be concerned about, receptionist. And whip cream for both, if you will.”

In the end, asking those questions to a kid was useless. “Coming right up.”

By now, the customers had returned to whatever they were attending prior to the speech. Some passed off the speech as some kid’s fantasy world while others were entertained by the spectacle.

“Big dreams, huh?”

“To be her age again.”

“That kid’ll grow up to be a real general some day, eh?”

Such comments were the exact opposite of the praise for a commander in her mind. Eclipse stood without moving. Well, the current reception was to be expected. What influence or notoriety did she have as the no-name commander she was now?

“That’ll be 7.30 dolyen.” the worker said behind.

But it wasn’t her to pay for the coffee. The other in the top hat procured bills from a pocket and slid them across the counter.

“Here you go. A—Apologies for causing a ruckus.” she said, eyes closed and rubbing the back of her head.

Taking the money, he was surprised to see the top hat girl had decent enough manners to address others normally.

“I know how bad some customers can be, so keep the change. Okay~?”

After counting up the money, he blinked twice at Top Hat, then to the bills. 8.75 dolyen. A 20% tip he held in his hands was something he didn't expect coming to work this morning. In fact, it was something he didn’t expect in his career as a cashier.

He handed Top Hat the two cappuccinos with slightly more care than usual to which she took it with a gleaming smile. Afterwards, the speech-giver puffed out her chest then proceeded to give a customary bow, much to the enjoyment of onlookers.

“A sincere thank you to help in the aid of our objectives.”

The cashier leaned on the counter and rested his chin on both palms in an attempt to collect himself. Watching the two characters exit through the glass doors, he cracked a smirk. Even that demon commander could be polite if she tried.

Maybe this wasn’t such a mundane shift after all.

・

“That didn’t work as planned didn’t it~?” Utami said, sipping the cappuccino. Warm and sweet. Just the way she liked.

The two sat down on the concrete curb just outside Moonbuck’s entrance to enjoy their caffeinated coffees. Sozuraka had always been consistently warm compared to its neighboring nations up north, but that didn’t stop the duo from enjoying hot beverages. As long as it satisfied their sweet tooth, they’d drink it.

“Nonsense. It was exactly the reaction I was expecting.” Eclipse chugged her cappuccino, almost burning her tongue but let out a refreshing breath. “At the very least we implanted ourselves into their minds for the briefest of moments. Before, they had never known about our existence, and now they will go about their day with us in the back of their minds.”

“What insane marketing strategy…”

Utami tagged along to enjoy the entertaining theatrics that Eclipse often found herself causing. The speech at Moonbucks was a testament to that.

“Utami, This is all part of my Grand Master Plan. Before long, those very people in that lounge will cheer on for our cause.” Eclipse took another sip and sighed. “Ah… if only all of humanity can grovel at my feet.” The very imagery tasted as sweet as the cappuccino she drank. “So. That document you have retrieved from their databases... Find any useful information we can exploit?”

“Hmm~.” Utami straightened the paper in her hand. She had picked it up after noticing the mini table covered in a red tablecloth with a ‘Start your journey here!’ sign beside the wall. “Looking at the worker application, the workers there get paid an hourly wage of 10 dolyen it seems. That could support our food budget if we stop buying coffee every morning…”

Eclipse scoffed. “As always it's abysmally low. What is the use for the help-wanted sign if they are to exploit every desperate soul?” She looked over her shoulder in disgust. “These poor managers. I shall reform the food industry as well.”

“Eclipse… ho boy. It’s already plenty enough that we left without talking it over with your dad.” Utami winced at the thought that they didn’t have any plans on how they would support themselves alone. “Can’t we just start small? Get a part-time job and rent out an apartment? Then we can worry about world domination later.”

“We didn’t run away. I informed my father about my leave of absence. How he accepts or rejects that information is none of our concern.” Another sip of her cappuccino. “I can reasonably guarantee that he hasn’t dispatched a search party for me, nor will he have any intention to in the future. As such, there is no reason to lay low in a dusty apartment.”

Hell, nobody in that coffeehouse batted an eye to my appearance.

“Father… I couldn’t believe my ears when he discussed with that Chordian man, Shepherd. Just… what was going on in his mind when he agreed to build that weapon? Was it to protect Sozuraka from its enemies? From Alkai? There’s no justification to build such terror.”

Eclipse pinched her nose bridge in an attempt to suppress the memory of white lab coats and light-blue latex gloves. Looking out of the telescope through her father’s observatory to see the spectacles of lights above—the vast sea of infinite opportunities… Were all those moments together at the observatory a lie?

“Are… you okay?” A concerned Utami leaned forward.

“Tell me, Utami. It’s rather strange to tip at a restaurant chain, no? Yet you had given that receptionist more than what was necessary from our food budget.”

“That…” Utami stammered. “It’s like you said. The food industry is rough. So rough that they can grate cheese on it. Well maybe you didn’t say that last part, but the fact stands. Workers there are exploited for their labor.”

“That is exactly the reason. We can’t return now. We cannot return to that ‘rough’ situation.” Eclipse let her gaze fall to the lid of the cappuccino. “We… just need more offensive capabilities. Then people will think twice to underestimate us…

“Our organization wouldn't have been able to block that attack from that receptionist.”

“Meaning that barista?”

“His remark about our parents’ whereabouts was rather crude to say the least. I’ll assure him that I am two hundred times older than the oldest staff there.”

Eclipse twitched an eyebrow after taking a sip of the coffee. It had grown lukewarm in the span of time they had conversed. While they had increasingly added and improved on blends, Moonbucks hadn’t upgraded their cup technology to maintain drinks’ temperatures since the coffeehouse’s founding.

Are they truly willing to settle on these ineffective models?

Now that she put some thought into it, it didn’t occur to Eclipse on what her own organization’s purpose was. It wasn’t an overnight decision. Eclipse had dreamed of better opportunities once she learned of the trajectory of her path to take over for her father as the Count of Sozuraka. Surely leading a nation would be a dream come true. However, learning of the rocky relations between Alkai, it would have hurt her to become the face of ridicule from the one nation she grew to adore.

Eclipse escaped into her fantastical organization to prevent that reality. But it was in that situation where she was forced to play her move. She begrudgingly bulldozed out of her home alongside Utami and declared to the world that moment was the start of her organization. Although precipitation prevented her shouts from reaching far, Utami had certainly heard it.

No, that’s right. That’s what our purpose is.

“To make progress in the world. That is the one thing we need to do. But that is only if we can gain notoriety and power.”

Utami fell silent, put a finger on her lips, then clapped her hands. “Should we start at the capital then?”

“Capital? Fool, we just left the inner city.”

“—Capital of Alkai.”

Eclipse gave Utami a confused tilt. Realizing what she meant, her gaze grew sharp. “You do not mean…” Admittedly, her knowledge of the region is limited to only the mass media that were her nerdy hobbies, but even then that was enough to inform her on the hierarchical structure of the government. Feeling the slight pressure radiating from her friend which signaled that Utami was preparing her Aoi, Eclipse raised a hand not needing an explanation.

“Not only is it enemy territory…” Eclipse trailed off and took a second for another sip. “But Reine itself is under the eyes of the Daimyo and his elite squad of Samurai. They are the reason why Sozuraka holds so much fear for Alkai.”

“And that is our foot through the door~. I’m sure these honorable Samurai could lend a hand or two~.” Clasping her hands and waving them in a dreamy fashion irked her friend.

“To persuade a Samurai in our cause is a task only fools would partake in. They’ve already sworn allegiance to the Daimyo before they have the right to pick up a sword.

“I… like that idea.” She smiled, resting her head on a fist. “This is why the organization needs you as our technical advisor. A strategic asset if I do say so myself.”

“Erm. Sorry. I’d still rather be the research and development engineer.” Utami cleared her throat. “A—Anyways… They say we need a ship to depart there. No other entryways exist as far as we know. At least according to the data scraped from library databases here.”

“—Then we’ll simply steal one.”

A bold idea. Bold enough that Utami spat out the sip she had intaken.

“We—We are so getting sniped out of the water…~”

“Not for the sake of reaching the Capital, you fool. I’m well aware of how strict it is on who goes in.” Eclipse crossed her arms. “This will rather be our starting point. Our base of operations and our new-found home. That had been my intention from the start, but any Grand Master Plan can do for some tweaks along the way.” After jugging the last trickles of coffee in her cup, she slammed it on the curb and shot up.

“Utami.”

“Yes?”

“As Commander and Director of our newly founded organization, I will now bestow you with your first mission. Go to the capital using whatever means necessary and find ourselves a Samurai. One that hasn’t yet fully succumbed to the patriotism of the Daimyo. I shall take care of finding a vessel.”

The first order from her friend—no—her Commander made Utami sigh. “With pleasure~.” But putting some thought into it, said Commander hasn’t answered her question yet. “Umm… So how exactly am I supposed to get to the Capital if we’re not gonna use a ship?”

“You are our intelligence. You have gotten us out of trouble so many times in the past. Now should be no different.”

Although, this task was completely different from helping her on problem sets in mathematical textbooks. “Aye, aye…~”

Gaining the first vessel of her armada, and making an Alkain friend… it gave her the same butterfly sensations in her stomach back in that speech to finally realize both dreams.

“Acquire a ship, and search for a Samurai to add in our ranks. These shall be our first objectives as Azure.”