Tyranny of Steel

Chapter 651 - A New Power Rises in the East

Over the past few years, Berengar von Kufstein had risen from the humble position of baron's son to a powerful emperor. He had united the German people into a single Empire and had made it the most powerful nation in the western world. However, while this was occurring, another interesting figure had risen from a low status in the East.

In the Ashikaga shogunate, a rebellion was occurring and its last battle was drawing near. Five years ago, a young girl appeared within a small samurai clan. There were no sons in her clan, leaving her to be the one to master the art of war.

Despite her talent in the sword, the woman was more concerned with administrative control. This small village turned into a fierce stronghold as new agricultural technology had appeared. With food in abundance and fewer men being required to work in the fields, her father had gathered an army the likes his neighbors had never seen.

However, the Shogun soon became greedy and tried to take the profits of the local clan by force. Resistance occurred, and in the battle, the girl's father died, leaving her in command of the forces. At the young age of Fifteen this woman lead the warriors of her clan to victory, earning her the nickname the War Goddess.

Following her victory, the Ashikaga shogunate could no longer turn a blind eye and used its full might to crush the enemy forces. Yet when all appeared to be lost, the woman introduced a devastating weapon to her Ashigaru, who previously could not contend with the mighty samurai of her enemies. These Tanegashima, when employed in large numbers, secured yet another victory against her enemy.

Since then, the faction of the War Goddess, Itami Riyo, had rallied, conquered every village and stronghold she had come across slowly but surely, accumulating the land and resources needed to defeat her enemy.

Now a young woman dressed in a new improved armor design known as tosei gusoku stood on a hill outside the city of Heian-kyō which was the last bastion of the Ashikaga Shogunate. Her soldiers loaded their weapons as they prepared to launch their final attack against their long-standing enemy.

Itami Riyo was a beautiful young albino woman who wore a headband that represented the rising sun over her snow white hair. Her armor was black, with red fittings, and covered her from the neck down, securing her person from any weapons her enemy could throw at her. As a woman, she could seldom contend with the stronger men on the field of battle, and because of this, she tended to lead from the rear.

As the woman stood within her tent surrounded by her subordinate officers, she gazed upon the wooden pieces that represented the forces that would be besieging the city. As she stared at the mock siege taking place in front of her, she could not help but recall faint memories from a long-forgotten past.

In her past life, she was the child of Japanese Immigrants to the United States of America. Despite her family being wealthy, she decided on a military career after listening to her father speak of the heroic actions he took in defending the Empire from its enemies in the Second World War.

Even though her family wanted her to refrain from such a career, she had entered the Westpoint after graduating from high school, where she majored in mechanical engineering. After all, she was not foolish enough to major in something pointless and become a commander of a bunch of grunts.

During her spare time, Itami Riyo, or Mizuno Ai as she was known in that life, was commonly found in the school libraries having heated discussions with a peculiar young man. Though this man was not the best-looking guy in the world, nor was he really sociable, despite this she found that his intellect matched her own, and because of that the two of them were capable of having long-winded discussions about their passions.

It did not take long before the two were engaged in a heated rivalry centered on their respective fields. While Julian had majored in Civil Engineering with a Minor in mechanical engineering, she had done the opposite. Despite the difference in majors, both sought to outdo one another and rise in the ranks of the military as engineering officers. However, even though they were rivals, there was a close connection between the two.

It was only after the man's death in the line of duty that she realized there was something special between the two of them. Even now, it hurt her soul to think about what could have been should the two of them have been a bit less dense and, more importantly, actually capable of understanding their complex emotions.

Why was she remembering this? Because the two played war games together in the same group, and when she gazed upon the vivid display of the city she was about to lay siege to, she could not help but remember being a similar situation with her miniature army in her past life.

The difference between the city she was laying siege to now, and the one in her memories, was the fact that this city was entirely unprotected by barriers. Because of this, she would not need to force her way through a gate in order to eliminate her enemies.

If only those Ashikaga bastards had delivered her compensation as she demanded after her father's death years ago, this bloody rebellion could have been avoided. The woman no longer hesitated. She quickly gave a command to her soldiers to begin the attack.

"Commence the attack. Do not rest until every loyalist dog is put to the sword!"

The commanding officers quickly saluted the woman in a modern military fashion and responded with the highest respect.

"Yes kami-sama!"

They truly revered her as a living incarnation of a war god. Why wouldn't they? Until now, she had remained entirely undefeated in her campaigns. Her goal was simple: overthrow the Ashikaga shogunate and declare herself the new Shogun. She would not stop until the man responsible for her father's death had been killed.

The soldiers of the Itami Army received their orders and prepared to march into the streets, which were lined with the last few men loyal to the old power. They quickly descended with their matchlocks and their spears as they rushed through the defenseless city. Thunder echoed in the air as the Itami Ashigaru fired their matchlock firearms towards the enemy, cutting through their primitive o-yoroi armor as if it were mere butter.

When the first line of defenders fell, those with matchlocks fell back and allowed the melee infantry to engage the enemy. The Itami warriors screamed in the air their loyalty to their leader as they mercilessly cut down their rivals.

"For the Goddess!"

The fervor of the Itami forces was incomparable, especially among the Ashikaga loyalists, who were already weakened in morale. In five years, their country had fallen, and now they were the only thing defending the Shogun from his enemies. Despite this, the enemy's numbers were overwhelming, and blood poured into the streets as the city's defenders struggled to maintain their ground.

The battle continued for some time as the Itami forces made their way through the streets of the massive city, cutting down any man who resisted their conquest. If not for the strict rules of war that the War Goddess abided by, surely there would be some serious crimes against humanity that occurred. However, unlike Berengar, Riyo admired the modern rules of war from her past life, and would execute any of her men who dared to break them.

In the end, the city fell and the War Goddess strode through the blood-soaked streets as her soldiers kneeled before her. Finally, she would have her revenge. The doors of the Palace had long since been battered open by the time Riyo arrived. Standing before her was the Shogun who refused to kneel. Despite this his hands were tied behind his back and he was not a threat.

Riyo was furious as she gazed upon the man, and swiftly kicked him in the groin, forcing him to the ground.

"Kneel!"

The man felt like he was going to vomit after such a powerful shot, but he no longer refused the woman, as he simply lacked the strength to stand up once more. Riyo issued another command as she unsheathed her sword, whose steel blade shimmered under the light.

"Prepare him!"

The nearest Samurai held the Shogun down so his neck was lowered and was prepared to be severed. It was at this moment Riyo declared his guilt.

"Ashikaga Yoriharu, for the crimes of against my Clan, I hereby sentence you to death!"

The Shogun was about to curse the woman, but before he could say so the blade dropped, and so to did his head. A pool of blood formed on the ground as the viscous red substance sprayed in the air. With an expressionless face, Riyo grabbed hold of the head and dragged it outside her palace where her army lie in wait, boldly declaring the Rise of a New World Power.

"The Ashikaga Shogunate is defeated! Long live the Itami Shogunate!"

After saying this, the soldiers in the city repeatedly chanted the woman's cries.

"Long live the Itami Shogunate! Long live the Itami Shogunate! Long live the Itami Shogunate!"

With this, Riyo had united Japan under her banner, but this was only the beginning. She had plans to expand her power and influence via industrialization. Soon a new empire would form in the east, and she doubted that anyone in this world would be able to contend with her power! While this was occurring, the German Empire was taking great steps to modernize its infrastructure and was preparing for its final showdown with its rivals.