The air inside the temple of the Ephors felt heavy and stale, filled with the pungent scent of incense and an unspoken aura of greed. King Leonidas of Sparta stood tall before the five Ephors, the fat, pale priest-judges who looked more like overfed earthworms than servants of the gods. Leonidas's face hardened as he heard their decision.
"The Gods do not approve of this war, King Leonidas," one of the Ephors said in a raspy voice, his small eyes glinting shrewdly. "The Oracle has spoken. Sparta must remain silent."
Leonidas clenched his fists. He knew this was not the will of the Gods, but rather the will of Persian gold that had poisoned these priests' hearts. Xerxes' countless armies were already marching towards Greece, and Sparta was the last hope.
Just as Leonidas was about to voice his suppressed protest, the air in the center of the temple suddenly vibrated. The stone floor beneath their feet seemed to pulsate for a moment, and an unnatural cold gust of wind swept through the room, making the flames in the torches flicker wildly.
Then, in the very middle of the room, between Leonidas and the Ephors, a man appeared out of nowhere. He didn't walk in; he was simply there, as if he had always been there or had just been born from the air itself.
The man was tall and well-built. He wore a simple yet immaculate white chiton that seemed to faintly glow in the torchlight. His face exuded absolute confidence, and his sharp eyes surveyed his surroundings with a mixture of amusement and slight disdain, especially when his gaze fell upon the Ephors. This was Tom Jacker, who had just used his "Costume Adaptation" Quirk from his All For One library to adjust his appearance to the era.
The Ephors gasped in shock and horror. Leonidas's guards standing near the door immediately pointed their spears, though there was hesitation and fear in their eyes. Leonidas himself took a step back, his hand reflexively moving to his sword hilt, his eyes narrowing, analyzing this strange intruder.
Tom Jacker, or more precisely, "Tomos," raised his hand with a majestic, calming gesture. His voice, now deeper and more authoritative thanks to one of AFO's voice-altering Quirks, resonated throughout the temple.
"Sheathe your spears, Spartan warriors," he said. "I come not as an enemy." His gaze then turned to the trembling Ephors. "These mortal priests who have been corrupted by gold and false prophecies," Tomos continued, his voice laced with cold disdain, "have no right to determine Sparta's destiny or to withhold your glory, King Leonidas."
He turned to face Leonidas, his gaze piercing. "I am Tomos," he declared. "The Unbroken God of War! The rarely seen Protector of Sparta! I have been sent from the abode of the Gods to ensure that Sparta's courage and glory will shine eternally, not be extinguished by cowardly whispers and worldly desires!"
Complete silence enveloped the temple. The Ephors looked as if they would faint. The guards slowly lowered their spears, their faces filled with a mixture of disbelief and growing awe.
Leonidas, the pragmatic warrior king, stared intently at Tomos. He had heard legends of gods descending to earth, but to see one firsthand? He felt a strange, incomprehensible power emanating from this figure. Was this a trick? Or had the Gods finally heard Sparta's prayers?
Whatever it was, Leonidas saw an opportunity. A hope.
"If you are truly an envoy of the Gods," Leonidas said, his voice steady despite his churning heart. "Then show us a sign."
Tomos smiled thinly. "A sign, you say? Very well, King of Sparta. Consider this my first sign."
He snapped his fingers. Instantly, all the torches in the temple, which had been flickering from the gust of wind, now blazed with a steady, golden fire brighter than ever before, as if they had just been doused in sacred oil. No trick, no apparatus. Only will.
The brighter flames in the temple torches were indeed impressive, but Leonidas was a Spartan. He needed more than a mere light show to be fully convinced. He stared intently at "Tomos," searching for signs of deceit.
"A bright burning fire could be a trick of a sorcerer," Leonidas said, his voice unwavering. "Sparta needs undeniable proof if we are to stake our fate on a newly appeared god."
Tomos smiled, a smile holding the knowledge of millennia and immeasurable power (or at least, that was the impression he aimed to give). "You doubt me, King of Men? That is understandable. Words can deceive, even fire can be controlled." He stepped forward, his white chiton fluttering slightly. "Then, let actions speak."
He stopped in the middle of the room, spreading his arms to his sides. "I am Tomos, the Immortal, Protector of Battle. Your guards, King Leonidas, they are the finest warriors of Sparta. Order them to attack me with all their might. Pierce me with your spears. Cut me with your swords. Show me the legendary wrath of Sparta!"
Leonidas's guards exchanged hesitant glances. Attacking someone who claimed to be a god? That was an act of blasphemy. But the king's command was absolute, and there was an unspoken challenge in Leonidas's eyes.
"Do it!" Leonidas commanded, his voice echoing.
With a unified war cry, several Spartan guards charged forward. The sharp bronze tips of their spears aimed directly at Tomos's chest.
CRACK! CRACK!
Two spears pierced Tomos's chest squarely, their tips emerging from his back. Blood should have gushed, cries of pain should have been heard. But Tomos merely stood there, his expression calm, even slightly amused. He stared at the spear tips protruding from his chest as if they were slightly bothersome accessories.
The Ephors shrieked in horror. The attacking guards froze in place, unable to believe what they were seeing.
With slow, deliberate movements, Tomos gripped both spear shafts. "Decent strength," he commented. Then, he pulled both spears out of his body with a single tug. No blood followed. The holes in his chiton were clearly visible, but as the warriors stared at the skin beneath, they saw the wounds close on their own in a matter of seconds, leaving not the slightest trace.
"Is this sufficient proof, King of Sparta?" Tomos asked, tossing the two spears to the floor with a loud clang. "Or do you wish to try to decapitate me as well? Though, I must admit, reattaching it is a bit more troublesome."
Complete silence enveloped the temple. Even the Ephors were speechless, their faces ashen.
Leonidas stared at Tomos, then at the perfectly healed wounds, then back into Tomos's eyes, which were filled with unwavering confidence. The last doubt in his heart crumbled. No sorcerer, no trickery could do this. This was something else. Something divine.
He stepped forward and, with a movement that surprised everyone, Leonidas, the proud King of Sparta, knelt on one knee before Tomos. His guards, seeing their king, simultaneously knelt as well.
"God Tomos," Leonidas said, his voice now filled with new conviction and respect. "Sparta has sinned by doubting you. Forgive our blindness. We are your servants. Command us!"
Tomos smiled with satisfaction. "Rise, King Leonidas. Rise, Spartan warriors. A god needs not servants, but brave allies."
Leonidas and his warriors rose, their eyes now alight with new spirit.
"The Ephors have spoken on behalf of Persian gold, not the Gods," Tomos said, now staring sharply at the trembling, fear-stricken priests. "Their command is null and void! I, Tomos, give you my blessing to march! Face that tyrant Xerxes! Show him what the true wrath of Sparta means!" He raised his hand, and the flame from one of the torches leaped to his palm, blazing without burning him. "My sacred fire shall accompany you!"
"With the blessing of God Tomos," Leonidas roared, his voice trembling with fervor. "We will march to Thermopylae! We will show Xerxes that Spartan blood cannot be bought!"
The guards cheered, the names "Tomos" and "Leonidas" echoing through the temple. The Ephors could only cower in fear, their power vanished in an instant.
The alliance between man and "god" had been forged. Sparta would march towards its destiny, now with the conviction that divine power was on their side. And Tom Jacker, the false god, would get the greatest show of his life.