A/N: Sorry for not updating the Shadow Slave fanfic. I was busy with university stuff previously and after I finished, I fell into the douluo fanfic rabbit hole and farming Umamusume for Kitasan Black (Got her with pity). Anyway, SS fanfic update soon. This one is less serious btw so yeah. Here you go. Thx for reading
*****
Chapter 1 - Awakening
White Tiger Duke Mansion
A 6 year old boy was breathing and sweating heavily in his bedroom before suddenly waking up. Dai Yichen did not open his eyes immediately, because the moment consciousness returned to him, so too did a torrent of memories that did not belong to the life he had lived until yesterday, memories filled with fragments of a different world where glowing screens replaced spirit tools, where cultivation was fiction rather than reality, and where names like Douluo Continent, Spirit Hall, and Shrek Academy existed only as story written by an author.
"Shit…I'm in Douluo 2. And I'm Huo Yuhao's twin brother."
The boy, Dai Yichen, is surprisingly very calm and doesn't panic before starting to compile everything he knows about Douluo 2 from the memories of his previous life.
'Let's see…Douluo 2 takes place 10.000 years after Tang San ascends to become a god and the story is supposed to center around Huo Yuhao, my twin younger brother, who is destined to bridge the conflict between spirit beasts and humans…'
He paused.
Then his expression darkened slightly.
'…That was supposed to be the story. Unfortunately, that damn Tang Buddha decided to interfere and turn Yuhao into a glorified puppet, stringing him along with that stitched-up leash called Tang Wutong, while slowly taking everything that actually mattered away from him.'
Yichen's gaze shifted.
Beside him, a 6 year old boy with dark blue hair is sleeping next to him. Looking back at his memories, he knows this brother of his will endure tragedies after tragedies under the machination of Tang San. Starting with the death of his mother inside the White Tiger Mansion.
'I know for a fact this isn't possession. These memories are mine. Yuhao is my brother… and I'll be damned if I let that entire script play out right in front of me without doing anything.'
His eyes sharpened slightly.
'In a few hours, we'll go through the martial soul awakening ceremony… and after that, we leave. No hesitation. No delay. We take mom and get out of this accursed place before anything starts.'
Yichen did not yet know what his martial soul would be, nor did he expect anything extraordinary, because from his perspective, he cannot expect to be granted some cheats or the so-called "Golden Finger". If anything, he fully expected to awaken something mediocre, something unremarkable, something that would force him to rely entirely on his knowledge and decisions rather than raw talent. Probably a Blue Silver Grass.
A soft knock came from the door, followed by a familiar, gentle voice that carried a warmth Yichen had not realized he would value so deeply until this moment.
"Yichen, are you awake?"
Huo Yun'er. His mother.
Yichen sat up slowly, his expression softening almost imperceptibly as he turned his gaze toward the door, because no matter how calm and analytical he intended to remain, the knowledge of what would happen to her in the original timeline had already planted something in his chest that he could not ignore.
"…I'm awake mom," he replied, his voice steady, betraying none of the storm of thoughts beneath the surface.
The door opened, and she stepped inside, her movements quiet, her posture slightly tired, yet her expression still carrying that same gentle smile that seemed entirely out of place in a world as harsh as this one.
"Today is the awakening ceremony," she said softly, her eyes lingering on him with a mixture of hope and concern, as if she already understood that this day would determine far more than just the nature of his martial soul.
Yichen studied her for a moment, really studied her, taking in the subtle signs of exhaustion, the faint traces of hardship that had accumulated over time, and the gentleness she maintained despite everything that happened to her and for a brief moment, something within him shifted, something that made his earlier decision feel less like strategy and more like necessity.
"…Mom," he said, his tone slightly more serious than before, "after the ceremony… we should leave."
She blinked, clearly caught off guard by the suddenness of his words, her expression shifting into one of confusion as she tried to process what he meant.
"Leave?" she repeated, her voice hesitant, "leave where?"
"Anywhere," Yichen answered without hesitation, his gaze steady, unwavering, "just not here."
There was a pause, a silence that stretched just long enough to carry weight, because this was not a simple suggestion, not a childish whim, but a decision that would change everything.
"…Why? Yichen, if both you and Yuhao awaken the Evil Eyed White Tiger martial soul, your father will take care of you" she asked softly.
Yichen did not answer immediately, not because he did not have an answer, but because the truth was far too complicated, far too heavy, and far too unbelievable to explain in a way that would make sense.
Instead, he chose something simpler.
"…Because father never cared for us and staying here won't end well," he said quietly.
There was something in his voice, something subtle yet undeniable, that made her fall silent, her expression softening as she looked at him not as a child, but as someone who had already made up his mind.
"…Alright," she said after a moment, her tone gentle but firm, "if that's what you want."
Yichen nodded slightly, the tension in his chest easing just enough for him to focus on what came next, because this was only the beginning.
The awakening ceremony. This is the moment that will change everything.
*****
Awakening Hall
The awakening hall was filled with noise, the murmurs of children and adults blending into a restless atmosphere that carried equal parts hope and indifference, as if everyone present understood that while this ceremony was important, it would only matter for a select few.
Yichen stood quietly, observing. He did not feel nervous.
Expectation, however, lingered faintly, not because he anticipated something extraordinary, but because he understood that whatever happened here would define the immediate direction of his plans.
"Next. Dai Yuhao!"
Yichen looked at Yuhao and encouraged him. "Go, no matter what happens, mom and I will be there to support you."
Yuhao nodded and nervously stepped forward. 'As long as I awakened Evil Eyed White Tiger Martial Soul, mom and brother should be able to eat well and we no longer will be beaten up by the servants..'
"Put your hand on the awakening stone" The awakener says to Yuhao.
Yuhao stepped forward nervously, placing his hand on the awakening stone as instructed, his movements careful, almost cautious. And soon a faint flicker of light appears on the stone and Yuhao feels a tingly sensation in his eyes.
"Martial soul, Spirit Eyes." The awakener says.
The light from Yuhao's eyes dimmed. Not the White Tiger martial soul huh, Yuhao thought bitterly.
"Now we shall test your innate spirit power. Put your hand on this crystal ball"
Yuhao then puts his hand on the ball, hoping for at least a decent amount of innate spirit power.
"Level 1 Innate Soul Power" the awakener said with disdain. "A waste martial soul"
"Not the Evil Eyed White Tiger, huh"
"As expected of the child of a commoner"
"Just another waste martial soul"
The clamoring of other people can be heard and each word stabbed deeper into Yuhao's heart."
"...Idiots." Yichen thinks, 'A top-tier body martial soul treated as a waste martial soul. The Body Sect would kill for a martial soul like this.'
Yuhao then steps down from the awakening platform. As soon as he steps down, Huo Yun'er hugs Yuhao tightly. "I'm sorry Yuhao, mom is the one who's holding you back"
Yuhao, holding back his tears, tells his mom, "It's okay mom, I have some soul power. I can still cultivate, then we can make our life better.
Yichen stays quiet looking at this scene. His fists clenched. 'Don't worry, this time, everything will be better than the original story.
"Next, Dai Yichen!"
Yichen looks at the awakening platform and steps toward it.
"Good luck brother!" Yuhao shouted.
Yichen looked back on Yuhao and nodded.
"Put your hand on the awakening stone." The awakener says.
Yichen puts his hand on the stone and a faint flicker of pink appears. The color deepened, shifting into a richer, heavier crimson for a moment. Yichen's vision blurred.
And then—
He saw her.
A small figure, floating within the depths of his consciousness, her form delicate, almost childlike, yet her presence carrying a weight that far exceeded her size, her crimson eyes seemed to look down on all beings.
A chibi-like fairy.
Smiling.
Watching him.
"…Ah shit," Yichen thought, his lips twitching faintly, "So I did have a cheat."
Yichen recognized her. Of course he did. He played FGO for many years in his previous life after all and realized the gravity of this situation.
The Assassin Class servant. The God of Love, Kama.
But she also has another name. One of the Seven Evils of Humanity. Beast III/L, the Beast that represents the concept of depravity, lust and corruption. Kama/Mara
In the place often called the Love Continent filled with love-brained idiots, Kama has descended.
"We're so fucked. Literally"
*****
"…Of all things," he thought, a quiet sense of disbelief settling in, not because he doubted what he was seeing, but because he understood exactly what it meant.
This world, a place where bonds, emotions, and connections were not just abstract concepts but fundamental forces that influenced power itself. In a world that seems to drown deep with the concept of love, this is the worst possible environment for an existence like her.
And now—
She was his martial soul.
"Ah~ So you're my master now?" she said, tilting her head slightly.
Yichen remained silent for a bit. Processing the entire situation.
"Kama…" Yichen responded internally
She smiled.
"Correct."
"…This is bad," he concluded.
Kama giggled softly.
"That's a bit rude, don't you think?" she pouted
"We should talk later. Right now I need to finish up the martial soul awakening and see my innate soul power."
"Fufu~ Alright then, see you soon my dear master~"
Yichen exits his sea of consciousness and sees the examiner looking at him with a confused expression
"It seems you don't have a martial soul?" he asked.
"No, I do but it doesn't have any tangible form right now. I call it the Love Spirit Martial Soul."
"...Alright then, now put your hand over this crystal ball to see your innate soul power"
Yichen puts his hand on the crystal ball and it glows softly.
"...Level 0.5 Innate Soul Power" The examiner says in disbelief. He never saw a soul power this miniscule before.
"How does that even happen!? 0.5 soul power!"
"I would kill myself if I had that amount of soul power"
"He's even more of a waste than his brother"
The clamoring inside the hall is louder than before. Yuhao and his mother look worrily at Yichen at the awakening platform, figuring out a way to comfort him after this.
Yichen meanwhile is deep in thought.
'Level 0.5 Innate Soul Power. The same amount as Yu Xiaogang's Luo San Pao. That tracks I guess. Luo San Pao was supposed to be a martial soul with immense potential. Unfortunately, it met with a trash Spirit Master who makes it only able to fart as a form of attack. Yu Xiaogang is actually right with saying there are no trash martial souls, only trash spirit masters. He's the definitive proof of that statement after all.'
As soon as Yichen steps down from the platform, Yuhao and his mother quickly rush at him.
"Yichen, are you alright?" His mom ask worrily
"D- Don't worry brother! You still have some soulpower, we can still cultivate together!" Yuhao said as he tried to cheer his brother up.
Yichen then looks at both his mother and brother warmly. 'This warmth from my family is what I want to protect right now. I will do anything it takes to protect it. Even if it meant becoming the master of a Beast'
"Mom, Yuhao, I'm fine. The martial soul I awakened is the strongest in the world. You don't need to worry about me." Yichen speaks cheerfully.
His mother and brother however think Yichen is in denial with his situation and looks even more worried.
'I guess they don't believe me. Well 0.5 Innate Soul Power doesn't look good I guess.'
Yichen then walked out of the awakening hall that was still filled with mocking laughter of his result. While his mother and brother follow him.
"Mom, Yuhao, we should pack our stuff. We will leave this mansion and start anew somewhere else. You can go ahead, first. I'll catch up later." Yichen says.
"Alright Yichen, Yuhao, come help mom with packing. We should give your brother some space." Huo Yun'er then took Yuhao away.
Yuhao, stunned at his brother's decision to leave the mansion secretly felt relieved knowing they are leaving this mansion. He doesn't have any fond memories living inside it. Only memories of hardships abuse lingers in his mind when he thinks of his experience living here.
As soon as both his mother and brother leave, Yichen thinks about his current situation.
'Right now I have a martial soul with a really high power ceiling. As far as I'm concerned, the Immature Beast form of Kama should be able to contend with a God King. But that's the problem. Kama's nature is to drown all things in Love and render them incapable of growth. And this time, there will be no Chaldea to stop her. If left on her own, she might fully mature as a Beast and that's an outcome I don't really want to see.'
"Heh," Yichen scoffs. 'And I was worrying about whether my martial soul would be trash the day before, only to be given a ticking time bomb. Guess I'll have to deal with this sooner than late.'
'Kama.' Yichen said to Kama residing within his consciousness.
'Yes, my dear master? What do you want to ask? She asked teasingly.
'Do you remember what happened before you came here? Like how did you become attached to me?' Yichen asked
Kama's expression seems to darken a bit as she remembers some bad memories before coming here before her returning to normal.
'Well, my dear master~, I was so close to drowning the entire universe with my love. But then that Master of Chaldea prevented me from doing so. As for how I got attached to you, as my saint graph was crumbling apart, I saw a soul passing by to an unknown location. Desperate, I attached myself to that soul and here we are' Kama explained.
'Ah. So this Kama is the one that lost to Ritsuka after the event of Ooku Labyrinth. So it's girlfailure kama now ig?' Yichen thinks to himself.
'Master, I feel like you were thinking of something rude just now" Kama scowled
'Must be your imagination. Anyway, what can you do now?' Yichen redirects the conversation.
'Hmph~. I will answer you just because you're my Master. Right now my power is severely depleted and I can only do Emotion Amplification where I can heighten one emotion from a target.' Kama replies
'That seems useful, seeing as how most characters in Douluo are prone to emotional outburst. I can work with that"
'Also Master, I'm constantly receiving power boosts from the continent. It's similar on how Servants gets massive buff when fighting in their land of origin' Kama added
'That's not really a surprise I guess. In place often called Love Continent, it would be weirder if the embodiment of love doesn't get a home field advantage'
As Yichen was thinking, he heard a group of people approaching him.
It was Dai Huabin followed by 2 guards approaching him
"Well, if it isn't the dirty commoner with a waste martial soul? Dai Huabin sneered
"...Dai Huabin, what do you want?" Yichen asked warily
"I heard from people in passing that you want to leave the mansion. You think you can just walk away?" Dai Huabin's voice carried a sharp edge, his eyes narrowing as they settled on Yichen with open disdain, as though the very idea of resistance from someone of his standing was an insult to the natural order he had grown accustomed to.
"Huabin, what are you thinking? I know you don't like us around so why stop us from leaving?" Yichen asked.
"Heh, the mutt is talking back. Do you really think you can leave without my permission? Think again." Dai Huabin says condescendingly.
The moment Dai Huabin stepped forward with his guards forming a loose semicircle around him, the atmosphere shifted as though the space itself had grown slightly heavier, slightly more tense.
'…Two Soul Grandmasters, but their discipline is shallow, their coordination loose. Probably because the higher ranked guards are still guarding the people in the awakening hall. Tch, guess I'll find out how that emotional amplification works sooner than expected. Kama, Heighten their sense of arrogance'
Floating beside him, unseen by all but him, Kama tilted her head slightly, her tiny form drifting in a slow circle as she observed the same scene with far greater interest. 'On it master'
The change was subtle. So subtle that even those experiencing it could not recognize it as external interference, because it did not introduce anything new, nor did it force anything unnatural, but instead reached into what was already present and gave it just enough weight to tip the balance.
Arrogance.
It was already there. An arrogance that considers Yichen is of lower status than them.
The guards loosen their arms. They don't even consider releasing their martial soul as the act of doing so the face against Yichen feels excessive. Even beneath them.
Dai Huabin crossed his arms, watching with thinly veiled disdain as one of the guards stepped forward, cracking his knuckles slightly as if preparing for something trivial rather than an actual confrontation.
"You really think you can leave just like that?" the guard sneered, his tone carrying a casual arrogance that had now been subtly amplified into something more pronounced.
Yichen did not respond.
He simply stepped forward.
The guard moved first.
No martial soul.
No preparation.
Just a straightforward punch, thrown with the kind of confidence that came from believing there was no need for anything more.
Yichen watched the movement.
Measured the trajectory.
And then—
He moved, avoiding the punch by dipping his body slightly, the punch passing just above him as he lowered his center of gravity in one smooth motion, his weight shifting seamlessly as his leg swept outward in a controlled arc, targeting the guard's legs rather than his upper body.
The guard had no time to adjust as he lost his balance. The guard fell to the ground and before the guard had any time to respond. Yichen stomps his foot on the guard's head. Hard. The guard fell unconscious after that.
'I feel way stronger than usual. Is the buff Kama receiving from the continent also powering me up? I'll think about it later.' Yichen thought.
The second guard rushed forward, his movements slightly faster, slightly more aggressive than the first, yet still lacking the one thing that mattered most—
Caution. The guard still believes he can take down Yichen without his martial soul.
Yichen then swiftly evaded the guard's charge, kicking his leg from behind. The second guard also fell to the ground, and before he managed to get up, Yichen kicked him in the balls.
CRACK
A sound that signifies the end of the guard's lineage resound around the area before the guard fell unconscious.
'Ooh Master~, don't you think that's a bit excessive?' Kama asked playfully. Excited at the guard's agony.
'All is fair in war. Also I'm just a spirit scholar fighting against 2 spirit grandmasters. Of course some tricks are needed to win'
Dai Huabin, seeing how 2 of his guards just fell unconscious, felt enraged and humiliated seeing Yichen easily defeating them.
"Dai Yichen, don't think this is over! I will beat you up myself and drag that loser brother of yours and wench mother back to the mansion." Huabin shouted. As he released his martial soul, the Evil Eyed White Tiger.
Yichen looks at Dai Huabin coldly as he takes a step back towards the fallen guards.
'Kama, heighten his sense of rage'
'Alright' Kama replies curiously, wanting to know what his master is planning.
Dai Huabin recklessly charged towards Yichen, blinded by rage.
As Dai Huabin charged at Yichen, he didn't realize the fallen guard before Yichen and lost his balance during the charge. Yichen then took this opening and punched Huabin really hard on the face.
As Huabin falls to the ground, Yichen mounts him and coldly looks at Dai Huabin below him.
"Yichen you bastard! What do you think you'r-" Dai Huabin never finished sentence as Yichen proceeds to pummel him on the face"
"Yichen you! STO-"
"My mother won't let thi-"
"Fuck your mo-"
As Yichen beats up Huabin, Kama playfully changes the heightened emotion from rage to fear.
*****
(Dai Huabin POV)
How did this happen?
The question did not come calmly, nor did it form in a clear, structured way, but instead surged through Dai Huabin's mind like a violent ripple, fragmented and disjointed, because what he was seeing in front of him did not align with anything he had been taught from his mother, did not fit into the framework of strength and hierarchy that had defined his understanding of the world since childhood.
They were just servants.
No—worse than servants.
They were nothing.
People who should not have had the right to stand in front of him, let alone walk away from him.
And yet—
Two guards were already down.
Easily beaten up the mutt currently pummeling him
'…What are they doing;" he thought, irritation flaring immediately, because the easiest explanation was incompetence, and incompetence, at least, was something he could understand.
"They're holding back," he told himself, the thought forming quickly, almost instinctively, because it allowed him to maintain the structure of his belief, allowed him to dismiss what he had seen as something trivial, something that did not reflect reality.
"They must be holding back."
Because the alternative—
That they had actually been beaten by those below him—
Was unacceptable.
"You think you're something special?" the thought twisted slightly, gaining intensity, feeding into itself as it circled through his mind, because if the guards had failed, then it meant he had to correct it, had to reassert what was supposed to be obvious.
"I'll handle this."
The decision settled quickly.
Because in his mind, there was no doubt he could lose
He is Dai Huabin.
Son of the White Tiger Duke.
Someone who could not—
Would not—
Lose to someone like this.
…And then he lost. It was not even a fight.
And he's now being beaten by the so-called mutt.
Dai Huabin looked at Yichen's eyes as he's being pummeled. And he saw nothing. No fear, joy or anger. Just pure indifference.
Those emotionless eyes terrify.
'He's gonna kill me!'
'Stop! Please'
'I don't want to die'
'Mother!'
Suddenly the beating stopped. Huabin felt something warm from his lower body. He has pissed himself.
Yichen stood up and looked at him scrawling on the ground with those cold emotionless eyes and said only one word.
"Pathetic"
A foot then approached his face. And then, there was nothing.
*****
Yichen looks at the unconscious Dai Huabin and feels nothing from this victory.
'Aren't you proud Master? You have defeated the person who has tormented you all these years.' Kama asked.
'No, because in the grand scheme of things, Dai Huabin is just a pawn. He's worthless.' Yichen answered.
Kama just looks at Yichen mysteriously before going back to his consciousness.
'I better hide these bodies. Those shrubberies sound like a good place to hide them. Playing Hitman 3 all those years ago really thought me well' Yichen thought proudly
'They should be unconscious for an entire day. Might as well take this chance now to leave while the awakening ceremony is still ongoing but first, time to loot the bodies.'
Yichen then looted Dai Huabin and found some gold coins on him.
'10 gold coins. He really is loaded huh. This is good as a starting capital. Thank you for your donation Dai Huabin.' He said in his heart before leaving the Dai Huabin and his guard behind.
'Next, time to meet with my mother and brother'
*****
Entrance of White Tiger Duke Mansion
Yichen looks at Yuhao and his mother.
"Let's get out of this place. Our new life awaits" Yichen says. Both his brother and mother nodded and the trio set off to the nearby town.
They walked in silence for a while.
Then—
"We shouldn't keep that name," Yichen said to Yuhao
Yuhao blinked.
"…Dai?"
Yichen nodded.
"It was never ours."
Yuhao thought for a while before replying
"Then I will call myself Huo Yuhao from now on"
Yichen smiled.
"Then I will call myself Huo Yichen"
Both brothers smiled before continuing their journey.
And so, the 2 brothers left the mansion, marking the first step on their journey to defy the script written by Tang San