Once landing on the sand, Raven lied down on his back. He opened his jacket pocket and took a pair of aviators out. Putting them on, he crossed his legs and bathed in the warm sunlight.

"Hehe. This'll get be sure to get me promoted to air division commander," he said to himself.

Right on cue, "Raven, please report to headquarters. I repeat, will Raven please report to HQ," the PA announced.

Getting up, Raven dusted the sand off himself and flew in the direction of HQ.

He was greeted at the front by Sakura carriers Shoukaku, Zuikaku, Soryu and Hiryu.

"Hi there, ace! We'll take you upstairs," Shoukaku greeted.

"Lead the way, ladies," Raven said, holding the door open for them.

The group entered the main room, where all the carriers of each faction were present. Among them were Yorktown, Wasp, Akagi, Kaga, Graf Zepplin, Ark Royal, Illustrious and more, such as Taihou, Essex and Bunker Hill, along with the light carriers.

"What's this?" Raven asked.

"Have a seat," Enterprise said. Raven turned around to see the Phantom and Hornet at the door.

Instead of the normal couches and chairs, a large conference table stood at the center of the room with enough chairs for everyone. Everyone took their seats and the meeting commenced. Enterprise sat at the head with Raven located at the direct opposite end.

"We have gathered here due to Raven's extraordinary aerial capabilities. I am confident when I say were all impressed with his stellar performance today," Enterprise said.

All eyes shifted to Raven. The carriers' eyes gleamed with approval. Raven blushed a bit.

"I believe that he should be relinquished command of our planes," Yorktown suggested, just as Raven predicted.

"Ha. He shoots down a bit of puny aircraft and suddenly you think he should take over?" Ryuujou argued.

"Hold on," Enterprise intervened, raising her hand. "My sister said 'command,' not 'take over.'" She shifted her gaze towards Raven straight ahead. "You obviously know aerial combat far more than us. That means during combat, you should possess the authority to order our aircraft as you see fit. But keep in mind, they are still our aircraft. Off-duty and away from the battlefield, you do not get to use them however you want. I make myself clear?"

Raven gave a thumbs-up with a smile.

"Alright then. Those in favor of having ADF-11F Raven in command of Azur Lane's aerial forces, please raise your hand."

All hands shot up.

"It is settled, then. Welcome aboard, Wing Commander."

The room filled with clapping and applause. Raven stood up and saluted the carriers.

"I understand the huge responsibility present. I thank you for trusting me, and I promise to never fail you all in our war against the Sirens."

News spread rapidly of Raven's promotion. Normally, one would be celebrating such an event, or at least taking the day off.

Not Raven. As soon as the meeting was adjourned, he leapt through the window, flying into the air and transforming.

"He's probably heading back out to train," Enterprise said, looking out the window. "He should be more careful."

"Hmm, now who does that remind me of?" Belfast asked, entering the room. The maid joined Enterprise at the window, who couldn't help but smile.

Roaring through the sky, Raven accelerated as fast as he could. He pulled intense maneuvers, high-G turns, climbs and dives.

The sky turned from blue to orange and the sun began to set. Even then, Raven still trained, practicing various tactics and pushing himself to the limit.

"He's still at it?" Cleveland asked Prince of Wales. Both watched from below. The Royal Navy battleship nodded, sipping her tea.

Then, Raven seemed to struggle maintaining altitude. His engines began to grow weak, and he started to plunge into a stall. At the last second, he turned into a human over the beach and fell onto the sand.

Twins Ping Hai and Ning Hai of the Dragon Empery left their shop to assist Raven.

"Are you okay?" Ping Hai called out. Raven gave a thumbs-up. He was shaking and panting, doused in sweat.

"Here. Have this." Ping Hai gave Raven a bottle of ice-cold water. Snatching it, Raven twisted the cap off and began to chug.

"This'll help too," Ning Hai said, giving one of the sisters' sweets to Raven. He gobbled it up in no time.

"I thank you for your assistance, and apologize for causing you any trouble," he said to the sisters.

"Oh, it's nothing at all, really," Ping Hai smiled, and Ning Hai nodded in agreement.

Once he felt better, Raven got back on his feet and the sisters headed back to their shop.

In that moment, Raven wanted nothing more than a hot, soothing bath. He headed for the bathhouse, hoping the girls would've finished by now.

Thankfully, Raven's hopes came true. The bathhouse was vacant, only possessing a thick cloud of condensation. Stripping, he slowly entered the water, relaxing his muscles as he was soothed in the warmth.

Just as he closed his eyes, he heard footsteps coming from outside. But Raven was so calm and at peace he didn't bother to look.

Javelin, Laffey, Ayanami, Z23 and Unicorn entered the bathhouse, descending into the pool across from Raven's. They didn't notice his presence until Laffey saw Raven's wings protruding from the mist.

Then they put two and two together.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Javelin apologized. "We didn't see you there, Raven. We can come back later."

Raven chuckled. "No, it's okay. You don't have to go anywhere," he reassured.

Javelin got back into the water.

"I heard about your promotion, congratulations."

"Thank you," Raven said.

"Is your rig going to be okay? Shouldn't you take it off?" Ayanami asked with concern.

"Unlike you girls, I can't remove it. My rig is a permanent fixture to my body."

"Ah, fascinating," Javelin remarked. Meanwhile, Z23 tried to wake Laffey up.

"Raven, what is it like to fly?" Unicorn asked.

Raven's eyes widened. To him, flying wasn't as simple as many would think. Flying was everything to him. It was how he got around, how he fought. It was more than just darting through the open skies, banking in between mountains, and gliding over the highest clouds. Flying was his heart and soul, his very reason for existence. He was king of the heavens, and the sky was his kingdom.

"I guess you could say, flying to me is like sailing to you. You soar through the blue ocean just as I soar through the blue heavens. In truth, we are not unalike as you may think."

Finished with his bath, Raven got up and out, leaving the girls to think about what his words. Once getting dressed, he headed for the mess hall. It was time for dinner.