The Road Was Quiet
Too quiet.
He walked along the edge of the road, hands buried deep in his jacket pockets, boots scraping against loose gravel with every step.
The air felt heavy, as if the world itself was holding its breath. Then he saw it. Parked just ahead, slightly tilted on its stand, was his bike. His breath caught in his throat. The matte-black body. The scratch near the exhaust he'd never bothered to fix. The handle leaning just a little to the left—exactly the way he always left it.
"No way…" he whispered.
His heart started racing before his legs did. Why is it here? Who brought it here? I lost my bike five years ago…
Without thinking, he stepped off the roadside. Then he started running. Each step felt lighter than the last, as if the road itself were pulling him forward. The world narrowed—no sky, no trees, no sound—only the bike growing closer with every heartbeat.
Ten steps.
Five.
He could almost touch it now. That's when the sound came. A deep, violent roar. Too close. He turned. Headlights filled his vision. White. Blinding. Endless.
Time stretched, then shattered like glass. His body froze, his mind screamed—yet no sound escaped his lips.
The truck slammed into him with a force that stole the ground, the air, the world itself.
Pain exploded—
Then vanished.
His body flew.
The sky spun.
And then—
Silence.
The bike stood there, untouched, reflecting the sunlight as if nothing had happened at all.
Pain was the first thing Silver felt.
Not dramatic pain.
Not heroic pain.
Just the dull ache of hunger and cold.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself lying on a narrow bed inside a room.
"…This isn't my room and wait I am not even in hospital."
Memories flooded in.
A new world.
A new body.
A painfully familiar setting.
Heroes.
Quirks.
Villains.
"So this is my hero academia," Silver whispered hoarsely.
His heart began to race—not from fear, but excitement.
This was a world where people chased the spotlight.
Which meant…
Shadows were free.
[Akatsuki Popularity System Activated]
A translucent screen appeared before his eyes.
Silver didn't panic. He'd read enough novels to know better.
[System Function:
Measure the popularity of an organization created by the host.
Upon reaching popularity milestones, a random quirkless individual will awaken with the power of one Akatsuki member and gain absolute loyalty to the host.]
"No summoning… random people…" Silver muttered.
"…Interesting."
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"This system is basically telling me to stay hidden."
"Exactly what I wanted."
Then another panel appeared.
[Quirk Awakened: Preta Path]
Ability: Absorb and release all physical manifestations of quirks.]
Silver slowly raised his hand.
"…So I already have the Preta Path from the Six Paths of Pain, wait isn't preta path of pain only absorbs not releases?."
The system did not answer.
He moved toward the mirror on the wall and froze.
His reflection stared back at him.
Normal eyes.
No ripple patterns.
No Rinnegan.
"…My eyes didn't change."
Silver smiled.
"Good."