Two named cells are known to the public:
* '''Task Force "Mind's Eye"''' ('''作戦部隊 「心眼」''', ''sakusen butai 「shingan」''): Activist cell located in [[Yurai]], acting as the command cell; effectively in control of the entire faction. Exact size is unknown, but known members include [[Satoshi Sangi]] (faction leader), [[Daiki Haraguchi]], [[Sayu Tawara]] , and [[Yuriko Hirota]] (trusted lieutenants).
* '''Task Force "Divine Edge"''' ('''作戦部隊 「神刃」''', ''sakusen butai 「kamujin」''): Activist cell located in [[Mippei Yosai]], acting as the local Town Security, known to operate a business or establishment called the Training Center ('''講習会場''', ''koushuukaiba''), where new activist fighters are recruited and trained.
In E7-450, Sangi ran for [[Yurai]] mayoral elections, running on a campaign promising the strengthening of all youkai-controlled territories as one unified bloc, exposing his goal. The campaign was wildly successful, earning him 77% of the votes and handily defeating his opponents. Shortly after his election, Sangi immediately appointed his close friends, Daiki Haraguchi, Sayu Tawara, and Yuriko Hirota, to various positions of importance within the town. Tawara became Yurai's Town Security Chief, Haraguchi was appointed leader of the ''kamiyama'', Yurai's large office complex, and Hirota was in charge of public relations, often appearing and speaking in Sangi's name whenever he wasn't making announcements of his own. Together, these four friends formed the Youkai Nation's first cell, which later became known as Task Force "Mind's Eye".
Within a few years, Yurai began forming plans to transform the town into the capital of a future nation. Over the years that followed, he unified the mayors of the other youkai-majority communities behind him, effectively rallying them under the cause of the Youkai Nation. Riding on the success of his political campaign and his popular, hardline, independentist views, the formation of an early Youkai Nation was relatively painless; Sangi's word soon became the authority in every youkai community. Initially, he was referred to as the ''Mayor of mayors'', but he eventually adopted the simple title of ''leader''. Other cells soon formed, for the purpose of delegating and managing the Youkai Nation, though all remained loyal to Sangi's cell and all major decisions must go through him first.
To guarantee the independence of the Youkai Nation, and be more than just an organized community of communities, Sangi stressed the importance of forming a single, organized armed force. To this end, Takuma Hiruma (male [[tengu]]), the mayor of [[Mippei Yosai]], proposed the creation of a dedicated combat training facility, where new recruits could be trained to become the Youkai Nation's soldiers. The facility became known as simply the Training Center ('''講習会場''', koushuukaiba), opening officially in E7-451. The existence of the Training Center remained a secret for several years, allowing the Youkai Nation to train their first soldiers without interference.
=== Public reveal and Operation Needle Poke ===
A panicked radio call informed Captain Donahue, the Military commanding officer leading the assault, that the expected reinforcements from the other companies were unexpectedly routed by swarms of enemies and that roughly 400 activists are coming to the aid of Yurai. Faced with an impossible situation, Captain Donahue refused to order a retreat, relinquished leadership to one of his lieutenants, and committed suicide. The new commanding officer, Lieutenant Halder, quickly retreated alongside his surviving forces without casualties.
With the failure of Operation Needle Poke, activist fighters got their first taste of combat, and were able to dramatically retake their new capital city in a dramatic manner; these events confirmed that the Youkai Nation was here to stay.
=== Operation Blood Banner ===
In E7-456, a settling caravan largely composed of humans and halflings attempted to settle a new town in the Northeastern Zone. Upon reaching the area, they were stopped by a group of activist fighters. The exact details of the situation are disputed, but 83 out of the 100 people within the settling party were gunned down by the activists, their caravan looted down to the last bag and article of clothing, and their naked bodies left to rot in the UA.
The Youkai Nation claimed that the settling party was not innocent and planned to settle a Military-aligned town within their own territory. The Military responded disputed the claims, responding that the settlers were not at all affiliated with them and that this event proves the Youkai Nation are bloodthirsty terrorists with no legitimate claims.
=== Operation Red Temple ===
By E7-531, the Maze Military had seen three different leaders from the Phasma family, which was referred to as the ''Phasma dynasty''. All continued their hardline anti-youkai policy, frequently punctuated with small, sporadic insurrections into the Northeastern Zone. Task Force "Mind's Eye" began planning Operation Red Temple, with the objective of eliminating to eliminate then-current Maze Military leader, Colonel Morgan Phasma, alongside his son, Captain Gerald Phasma of the Fourth Company. Sangi believed that breaking the Phasma dynasty would force changes within the Maze Military and pressure them to select a more moderate leader.
With the aid of human mercenaries providing intelligence to the cell, the activists split into two teams, one for each target, the intended plan was for each team to assassinate their targets at the same time.
=== The Weil era ===
Unfortunately for the Youkai Nation, the act did not provide the expected results. In E7-531, a new Colonel was selected: Donald Weil, who not only continued the Military's hardline anti-youkai policy but in fact strengthened it, declaring it to be the Military's mission to stop the Youkai Nation, starting what became known as the ''Weil era'' of Military leadership. Weil described the faction as a threat to the safety of the Mazes. However, rather than retaliate with a large military operation and a direct strike against their most well-defended town, Weil instead ordered groups of military units to patrol in the Northern, Eastern and Central Zones to attack and harass caravans, travelers, and other traveling parties coming to and from the youkai territory, with the objective of hurting intending to hurt the Nation's economy and forcing force them into effective isolation.
The Weil era was successful; for over fifty years, the Youkai Nation was systematically harassed in one form or another, whenever their military or civilian members tried to leave their territory. This resulted in the increased development of methods to ensure self-sufficiency, with various new facilities and industries opening in youkai towns.