EPISODE 7 – SCENE 6: THE PROCLAMATION OF THE NEW CITY

Location: Around the campfire, beneath the moonlight.

The night was deep, cloaked in silver beneath the gaze of the full moon. Shadows stretched long across the ground, and the fire at the camp's center burned bright, its flames sharp against the darkness.

The air was heavy with expectation. Silent. Waiting.

William stood at the edge of the firelight, his figure casting a long shadow behind him. The flames danced across his face, reflecting in the cold glint of his eyes. In his hand, he held a cup of rum, its surface shim-mering under the moon.

When he stepped forward, the crackle of fire was the only sound. One by one, conversations fell quiet. The laughter ceased. All eyes turned toward him.

There was no speech to start. No forced words. Only the sound of the wind brushing through the trees, and the weight of his presence.

Then, he spoke.

— William (his voice calm, but edged with steel): "This world belongs to the strong. To those who take. To those who crush the weak beneath their heels."

The fire snapped, sparks rising into the air like fleeting stars. His gaze swept over them—Kassim, Ash, Haku, Nero, Felicia, and the villagers, each marked by war, by loss, by survival.

— William: "We've all seen it. Felt it. Lived it."

The words were sharp, cutting through the silence like a blade.

— William: "But tonight, that changes."

He raised his cup, the reflection of flames dancing along its surface. His voice rang out, steady and unwa-vering.

— William: "Tonight, we forge something new. A city. A sanctuary. A kingdom where strength is not meas-ured by brutality, but by unity. A kingdom where the weak have a place, and the strong protect."

A murmur spread through the crowd, surprise flickering in their eyes. But William's gaze didn't waver.

— William: "We will build it here. On this ground, between forest and river. And it will not fall. Not to war. Not to time."

He paused, letting the words hang heavy in the air.

— William: "This will be the capital of the Shinsengumi Oni."

The name hit like a strike of lightning. A declaration. A challenge.

William took a slow sip of his drink, his gaze steady.

— William: "It will be a place of strength. Of justice. Of power forged by sacrifice, by will, by blood."

For a heartbeat, no one spoke.

Then, Akar stood, his grin sharp, his cup raised high.

— Akar: "To our empire!"

His voice echoed, cutting through the quiet.

Varisa rose next, her eyes shining with fire.

— Varisa: "To the future we build!"

Their voices sparked something deeper. Around the fire, one by one, they stood.

Haku stepped forward, a grin on her lips.

— Haku: "I hope you've got plans for architecture, William. Or we'll be sleeping under the stars a while longer."

Laughter cracked the tension, but beneath it, resolve simmered.

William watched them, a faint smile touching his lips.

— William: "We'll start tomorrow. Every stone, every wall, will stand as proof of our strength."

But then Kassim stepped forward, his movements slow but sure. He dropped to one knee, and his head bowed low. The gesture was silent, but its meaning roared louder than words.

— Kassim: "My blade is yours, Master William. If this empire is to rise, I'll defend it with my life."

The moment froze. The fire burned brighter, casting deep shadows across Kassim's face.

And then, as if a dam had broken, the others followed. One by one, each stepped forward. Some dropped to a knee, others struck a hand against their chest. All gave their oath. Their loyalty.

Ash's voice cut through the quiet, cool and sure.

— Ash: "An empire is more than blades and walls. It needs trade. Diplomacy. Influence. I'll see to that."

William's gaze met each of theirs. Watching. Measuring.

And at that moment, he saw it. Not just a camp of survivors. Not just warriors.

But the foundations of a kingdom.

The fire crackled, casting sparks high into the night. The moon watched, a silent witness to the birth of something greater.

William stepped forward; his cup still raised. His voice calm, low, but filled with undeniable power.

— William: "Tomorrow, we begin. Tomorrow, we build. A city that will stand long after we're gone."

He looked to the horizon, where shadows stretched and the land lay waiting to be claimed.

— William: "A kingdom that will rise… and never fall."

The silence that followed wasn't empty. It was filled with resolve. With loyalty. With the kind of promise that only warriors could make.

And when their voices finally lifted, cups raised high, it wasn't just a cheer. It was a declaration.

— All: "To our empire!"

The words echoed into the night, carried by the wind, whispered through the trees. A promise. A threat. A future.