Tyranny of Steel

Having crushed the enemy forces at Naniwa, and decapitated the rebel general Shimazu Takatame in battle, Itami Riyo returned to her capital in Heian-kyō. Though there was a rebellion underway across her realm, the brutal deaths of the Shimazu clan had forced those who dared to revolt against her rule to rethink their actions. For now, Itami had bought herself enough time to begin the introduction of new weapons to her forces.

Itami knew she could not produce massive quantities of Murata rifles without modern machinery and because of this, she had worked hard to create the first steam engines in the history of this world. Or so she thought. She had no way of knowing that an old acquaintance of hers from her past life had reincarnated into this world before her and had already produced such technology years prior.

Itami needed better weapons, and quickly. It was because of this that she put the first steam engines, along with the advanced machinery she had envisioned to use in the Heian-kyō Armory, prioritizing the mass production of modern weapons above all else. She did not have the luxury to focus on the cultural development unlike her German counterpart.

Finally, after substantial effort, the first of the Murata Rifles were manufactured. This single shot, bolt-action rifle was chambered in the black powder 11×60mmR Murata cartridge. Itami had, of course, changed the name of the weapon and caliber to the Itami rifle, and the 11×60mmR Itami cartridge.

She grinned wickedly as she pulled the bolt back on the weapon and inspected its chamber. Her laborers had done their best to produce a functional rifle, and after months of effort, it had finally been completed. This was a prototype weapon, and had yet to be actually tested, but Itami was convinced that it would not take much more tweaking before her troops could be equipped with these weapons en masse. There was a murderous glint in her blood-red eyes as she voiced her ambitions aloud.