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Neito Monoma- The #10 Pro Hero- twisted in his bed, groaning before pausing. His groan sounded weird. “Wha-” Neito starts before grasping at his throat. His voice was weird. Also that certainly wasn't Japanese he just spoke.
He quickly sat up and banged his head on wood above his head. This wasn't his room. There was also something about the air… It seemed weirdly fresh.
He looked around the room, noticing various navigational instruments. Also… the room was moving slightly. He hasn't noticed before, but the room was rocking back and forth.
Was he on a ship..? Why?
His thoughts were interrupted as someone banged on the cabin door. “Captain! We approach Troy!”
A sinking feeling appeared in his stomach at the use of ‘Troy’. Troy fell a long long time ago, if he recalled his literature classes correctly.
“...Soldier, what is my name?” Neito interrogated, holding his breath in suspense.
“Huh..? O-Odysseus?” The soldier responded in an uncertain tone, causing Neito to pull the bronze blade from his hip scabbard to observe the reflection.
Someone else stared back.
Fuck.
Those among the Greek Forces had heard rumors that one of their leaders, King of some irrelevant small island nation yet beloved champion of Athena, had been behaving very strangely.
…considering another of their leaders had claimed they had initially attempted to dodge the draft by ‘pretending’ to have gone mad, this was slightly worrying.
Of course, worry turned to fear as said leader was impaled by a blade whilst facing Paris in combat- which, in turn, turned to awe and cheer when the King merely stared in confusion before pulling the blade out and healing.
The tides of the battle quickly turned as Odysseus split apart and flew through the skies, over 50 pieces fighting soldiers independently before reforming to turn into solid iron to shrug off a ballista bolt and throw it back- impossibly several times larger as it took flight.
Winces could be observed as the King loudly insulted the families of his current opponents, with angry shouts returning. With a single word, those men charged their own allies- ensnared by the silver tongue of Athena’s Champion.
This was beyond what any of them could do- sans… perhaps the gods? But which god was this? Which god fought in every battle, not against their fellow gods as the other gods evidently did, but against men?
…His former mentor wished to know too.
Athena paced around the Ithacan Camp, waiting for her favored champion. She could see him now, being carried by his comrades with cheers- how humble, she snided to herself, to let him be carried despite his newfound magical ability to intrude into Zeus’s domain.
Time stopped as she walked over to him, her eyes narrowing as the man seemed confused. Odysseus would not be confused. He had experienced this many a time. So who, she asked, was this?
…It was true that she did not fight on the behalf of her champions. It was meant to be the other way around. But regardless of hierarchy, taking the identity of her favorite was an insult to her pride- one no Olympian could possibly allow.
“‘Odysseus.’ We need to have a word about your new magical abilities,” she commanded in monotone, reappearing right in front of the man, whose eyes opened wide.
Neito’s eyes opened wide, his mouth partially ajar, as the most beautiful woman he had ever seen appeared before him. For a moment, that was all he noticed, his heart going doki doki.
Then he noticed she was too beautiful. Not one flaw could be seen on the woman's continence, perfect in a way that no one could accuse of being hyperbole.
After that, he noticed her eyes. Storm grey, crackling with electricity- a sign of her lineage, though he did not know that. He could recognize their resemblance of storm clouds regardless.
Finally, he noticed her expression. Eyes slightly narrowed, lips downturned. She was slightly angry.
And then Neito understood who this was as he observed the woman’s armor. She was the goddess Athena- and evidently she was a bit upset.
“...Of course, my goddess. What about them?” Neito responded back, sweating. He NEEDED to be convincing so as to not be evaporated by the actual divine being before him.
“Where did you get them?” Athena questioned, crossing her arms over her chestplate and glowering. Neito’s heart swooned for some reason.
“I-” He paused, thinking of an explanation. He had discovered he still had the last four quirks he had copied after being stabbed and instinctually switching to [Lizard Tail Splitter]. But what to say here… “I prayed to my great grandfather and he provided.”
“You lie,” Athena accused, causing Neito to curse himself internally. Of course a GODDESS would know he wasn't telling the truth.
“I… I think you already know this, but I am not Odysseus,” the Phantom Thief started. He began to tell his tale, lamenting his unforeseen translocation here.
Athena paced through the halls of Hades, awaiting its King, whom she had requested to retrieve the soul of Odysseus- whom had been removed from his body without dying due to… unforeseen events.
She pondered on what to do with the young man. On the one hand, he HAD harmed one of her champions- inadvertently or not. On the other hand, he had a certain charm to him.
He could fight, he was a warrior. He was certainly strategic. She supposed he was a bit wise. He was also a trickster like Odysseus.
But wherein the true king of Ithaca found strength in his devotion to seeing his wife and son again- something she might have been a tad jealous of- This Monoma’s primary motivation was to change the outcome of the war in some way, believing he HAD to have been brought for a reason.
If she had heard right, he was from a distant future- no monsters or gods, at least not publicly. It struck her as curious. Who had brought him here?
She wasn't positive, though she suspected it was perhaps one of the gods of prophecy.
Regardless, as she saw Hades approach she decided to keep the man as her newest champion.
“Well?”
“...He is not here, Athena. I bid you luck as you search elsewhere,” Hades proclaimed, delivering the news swiftly and without much emotion.
And then he waved her hand, and she was out of the underworld. She sighed. If Odysseus was not here, then where?
Mustafu, Japan, 2287 AD
“I am the Champion of Athena! I will not be deceived into drinking your obviously bewitched potion!”
“...Monoma, for the last time, it's Cherry Kool-Aid,” Itsuka Kendo deadpanned.