The Demon Slayers Sidekick

As Rorio finished reaching the other end of the strange portal-like wall, a gust of wind hit his face.

When it did, he couldn't help but blink before opening his eyes to look at his surroundings.

What laid before him was a beautiful grass field coated in an array of differently colored flowers. With a sight like this, you’d find it hard to believe you were in a land that belonged to the monsters.

With a small grin, Rorio took in a deep breath before turning his head toward Domino who seemed rather dazzled by the terrain in front of him.

Making his way over to Domino, Rorio waved his hand in front of him which snapped him out of his daze.

Not sure what to do next, the two began walking across the grassy plain.

“Not as murky as I'd expected,” admitted Rorio as he continued looking around.

Domino nodded in agreement.

“Yeah. I never thought a spot as peaceful as this would exist in a land infested with monsters. But moving past that for now, we need to be careful with how we go about things here. After all, you never know what could happen even in a place like this.”

“What with you going all worrywart all of a sudden? That’s quite unlike you."

“This coming from someone who isn't part of the one hated species in this region..”

Rorio simply shrugged and was about to give him a comeback when his wolf ears suddenly popped out and he turned his head toward something off in the distance.

“What is it?”

“Dunno. But it's coming this way.''

The two immediately pulled out their weapons. Ready for battle.

A howl could be heard not far off as Domino and Rorio watched strange black wolves that appeared to be made of smoke charging toward them at a rapid pace.

“Hell Hounds,” Rorio muttered as he glared at the monsters.

Preparing his sword, he faced the opponents in front of him, ready for battle. But then-

“RAAHH!!”

-Rorio stood still in shock for a moment before noticing something breeze past him as Domino charged straight at the beasts.

“Dang it! I just fully realized our situation and now I'm annoyed!” Domino shouted.

“...Huh? You just realized it!? Is that why you were so calm before!?”

“Yep!”

“...Really? I just...I can't...haaah.”

Not sure how to respond, Rorio simply let Domino do his thing as he charged at the hell hounds.

Jumping into the air, Domino brought his blade down on the monster’s and their pained yelps echoed through the air.

Domino continuously slashed through the monsters with all his might and sadly, the hell hounds never stood a chance.

Before long, Domino finished off the last of the monsters and pretended to wipe sweat from his forehead even though he really hadn't broken a single sweat and let out a relaxing sigh.

In the end, all that remained of the wolves were scattered pieces of bloody flesh on the ground.

“Phew! I feel way better now. Thanks for waiting Rorio!”

Taking a moment to glance at the slaughter, all Rorio could do was let out a sigh and began walking away.

“Hey! Wait up!”

Trying to catch up to Rorio, Domino quickened his footing until he was walking in front of Rorio.

And thus, while not sure what they’d face out here, the Demon Slayer and his sidekick started their adventure within the Outbursts with not even a map to guide them.

Not wanting to get lost, the duo figured they should stop and ask for directions.

But sadly, with humans being considered outcasts here in this land, it would only make it harder to find information.

Add that on to the fact that Rorio was all too aware of how easily Domino could pick fights, and it seemed the two were in quite a tough pickle.

The worst part of it all, however, is how dense Domino can be when it comes to his own flaws.

Thankfully, as dense as he can be sometimes, he still focused on his friends first...at least most of the time.

After a few hours of walking through the grassy field that slowly morphed into a small wasteland, the two located a small cabin-like building.

As they got closer, Rorio looked at the sign that hung above the door.

“The Booze is the News?”

As Rorio read the sign out loud, he found it to be quite cringe-worthy. Nonetheless, the two needed information and so they made their way inside.

However, just as Domino was about to open the door, a ruckus could be heard from the inside.

Not sure what was going on in there, the two slowly walked inside. Remaining cautious as they entered.

Once the two got inside, the previously ruckus-filled bar went silent as all the creatures relaxing inside turned to look at the two of them.

Understandable for the most part since it was clear that a majority of the creatures here were known for their keen sense of smell and could figure out who was a human almost instantly.

But thanks to caution, Rorio was able to bring up his ears and tail before anyone got suspicious of him.

With all eyes on them, Domino and Rorio walked across the room toward the counter where a monster stood there cleaning a glass.

Stopping at the bar counter, Domino spoke with the monster.

“We need information on the layout of the Outbursts. Do you have any we could use?”

The strange monster, which seemed to be a mix between an ant and a monkey, just looked at Domino.

“I'm sorry sir. We don't provide information to humans here.”

This was one of the more natural responses in the Outbursts. However, that didn’t stop a vein from popping on Domino's head.

More than likely, the wolves hadn’t been quite enough to fully satisfy his anger so this road bump had started to fuel his anger once more.

Suddenly, footsteps could be heard behind the duo as a weird fish-like monster started to speak to Domino.

“Say, you’re a human ain’t ya? Why don’t you let me show how we treat yer kind round here?”

Seeing where this was going, Rorio pulled some gold coins out of his inventory bag and whispered to the bartender.

“Meet me out back in thirty seconds. I need some questions answered.”

The ant-monkey hybrid at the counter took the money and nodded as he took a small glimpse at Rorio's ears and tail.

Then, Rorio made his way out of the small building. As he left, shouting and hitting could be heard from inside as Domino’s hearty laugh echoed from within.

“Dammit. We can’t go anywhere without you picking a fight, can we?”

As he muttered this, Rorio reached the back of the building and stood there waiting. Thirty seconds later, the creature who was at the counter approached Rorio and greeted him.

“Greetings adventurer. My name is Quiv. I’m the one who runs this establishment and can give you the basic rundown of the Outburst. However, your payment was just enough to fill in a little bit extra so I can answer any personal questions you might have as well.”

“I’m glad to hear it. Please start with the basic rundown if you can.”

Quiv nodded and began his explanation as Rorio silently listened.

To summarize what Rorio learned, the Outbursts isn't just a single location, but actually, two layers of land that consisted of an inner and outer circle. The outer layer was for normal monsters that were simply trying to escape to this land, while the inner layer were people born and raised in the Outbursts. And the only way to leave or enter the inner later was by passing a trial that required true strength to complete.

As stated before, most creatures hung out in the Outer Outbursts, and the ones within the Inner Outbursts who weren’t strong enough to escape, were trapped there. And the one who created these lands was someone known as “The Creator” who never showed his or her face to anyone. However, they did have a defense force. This came in the form of four knights who went by the term of Creator Knights and were each chosen by their skills in a specific type of magic element.

The elements they used were Earth, Water, Fire, and an uncommon one known as Darkness.

Surprisingly, while it's true that the Outbursts is a safe haven from humanity, it is also a prison. Once monsters that have no human blood enter the Outbursts, they’re not allowed to leave. Demi-Humans are the only exception due to the human blood that runs through their veins.

While Rorio took this all in, his brain was already hard at work processing what to make of all this new information.

As for locations Domio and Rorio could go from here, all Quiv could offer was a map that covered the area of the Outbursts nearby where they currently stood.

Noticing a few places on the map, Rorio turned to Quiv.

“Quiv, where is the closest village to here?''

Thinking for a moment, Quiv then reached out his hand and pointed at two different locations.

“There are only two places close to here. Dragon Bane City, and the city of Lust Street.”

Looking at the two spots on the map, Rorio thought about his options.

Another thing that Quiv mentioned during his explanation was that unlike where Rorio came from, things like kingdoms and villages were instead referred to as towns and cities out here.

Apparently, both places closest to them were cities. But with one sounding like a death trap and the other sounding like a nightmare, Rorio really didn't want to go to either of them.

“Both don't sound very fun,” Rorio muttered.

Not responding to his comment, Quiv stood there silently.

After having finished thinking it over, Rorio turned back to Quiv.

“I appreciate your help with information. If it makes you feel better, the next time I come around, I can order something.”

Quiv bowed politely in response.

“As long as you don't bring that thing close to me next time, I'll welcome you with open arms.”

Rorio could easily guess what he was referring to and nodded.

“Understood.”

After asking a few more questions, Rorio left Quiv behind and made his way to the front of the building where Domino stood with a few bruises looking rather proud of himself.

“There you are Rorio! Glad you're okay!” Domino said, giving Rorio a cheerful grin.

“Well duh. Unlike you, I'm actually considered on equal footing here.”

“Yeah. Still, I'm sure you're happy to see your fellow companion has conquered those who sought to harm him!”

Rubbing his eyes in order to quell his frustration, Rorio let out a sigh and began to walk away.

“Well, I have information on the cities closest to us. I think it might be best if we talk about it while we walk.”

“Brilliant idea!”

Running in front of Rorio, Domino spoke up happily.

“Well, let's move Rorio!”

As he said that, Domino trotted ahead at a fast pace.

“...Do you even know where you’re going?”

Domino immediately froze in place when Rorio as him that.

After doing that, he craned his head towards Rorio and chuckled in embarrassment.

Despite Rorio just mentioning they’d talk while they walked, Domino had already started moving along without even slowing down to listen.

Rorio groaned as he walked over to Domino and started informing him of what he learned.

Once he reached the topic of the cities, Rorio remembered something interesting Quiv told him.

“If I remember correctly, Quiv told me that Lust Street is one of the few places humans are actually welcomed in the Outbursts. However, that’s only due to the fact that humans have a heavy urge to procreate which helps businesses. If that wasn't the case, it would be like everywhere else in the Outbursts.”

After taking Rorio’s words into consideration, Domino pointed his finger forward.

“I’ve made my decision! Onward Rorio! To Lust Street!”

"W-Wait a minute. I think we should talk thing's over before anything else."

"Nope! To Lust Street we go!"

"But...Argh..."

With a groan of resignation from Rorio, it seemed Lust Street was the final choice in the end.

The name itself didn't exactly inspire confidence for Rorio, but knowing Domino, he figured he’d make that choice. In truth, Domino loved being around women.

While not exactly obsessed with them, he still seemed to have way too much fun when girls came flocking towards him on the streets after saving the day.

Rorio, however, never really dealt with women.

It was just another thing that came with being the sidekick. Not to mention that Rorio wasn't exactly a big fan of love.

He didn't hate it, he just didn't understand it. Even when he hit puberty, the concept was lost on him.

Because of this, Rorio didn’t even know if he'd ever experience love or not.

But that wasn't his focus. His focus was completing the task at hand.

So the two set out for Lust Street. At their current speed, they would arrive within two days. As such, they began making their way there almost immediately.

About two hours later, Rorio was chilling on a hill eating an apple as Domino was off taking care of the business.

While Rorio was relaxing, he heard a strange rumbling sound below him.

Looking down the hill, he saw a carriage pulling multiple cages.

“Slave Trader,” thought Rorio as he looked at the cages below.

While they weren't too common in the Inlands, the land Rorio comes from, the Outbursts didn't have any laws against slavery.

This was why so many people in the Outbursts tried to find a settlement as soon as possible to make sure not to get scooped up by a Slave Trader.

Rorio looked down at the cages when one piqued his curiosity.

Inside was a young human girl. She didn't seem to be out of her teens yet, but she looked so dead inside, her eyes almost seemed distant from the body itself. As if she had given up on all hope.

Rorio seemed to focus on her for a moment longer before moving on. He looked through the rest of the cages, but most were just your average magic beasts.

After they had finished driving by, Domino returned and the two got back on track.

As their trek continued, Domino and Rorio went around hunting for some wild animals they could cook.

Finding a giant boar in the woods, they took it down with ease and prepared to cook it.

Domino offered to make some stew with the meat, but Rorio instantly declined as he had flashbacks to the first time Domino cooked for him. He was just lucky his senses told him how dangerous it was. If they hadn’t, he wasn’t sure if he’d be alive today.

Thus, Rorio took care of cooking for the two of them.

Shoving it onto a stick he found, Rorio handed a giant piece of meat to Domino who gobbled it down instantly.

Leaving him to his own devices, Rorio took off into the woods.

Since demi-humans didn’t require as much sleep as humans, Rorio more often than not took over the night watch back during their old adventuring days.

Noticing some wolves nearby, Rorio jumped down and instantly sliced through their heads faster than they could blink.

Looking around a bit more, Rorio found a lot more monsters and beasts roaming around and he got to work taking them all out.

Rorio was grateful there were still monsters like this even in the Outbursts.

Recalling how he asked Quiv if it’d be rude to kill normal non-intelligent monsters, Quiv simply shrugged and told him to do as he pleased.

Thus, Rorio took that as a sign it was okay to kill monsters that existed solely to kill, eat, and sleep. Otherwise referred to as the non-intelligent monsters.

And before he knew it, it was morning.

Making his way back to where he and Domino were camping, Rorio found Domino lying there in his sleeping bag snoring loud enough that even a rooster would struggle to compete with him.

“So he hasn’t fixed that issue yet huh?” Rorio muttered while chopping apart the monster parts so that he could carry them around.

Not too long after he was done, Domino started waking up. And they got back on the road.

Standing within his castle, a man watched as Domino and Rorio made their way toward their destination.

“What are you watching there Sir Bartholomew?”

Hearing a voice behind him, the man turned there to find a girl with long purple hair staring at him with a confused look on her face.

“It appears some rather interesting people have made their way into the Outbursts.”

Walking up to the one she called Bartholomew, the girl tilted her head up to look at the screen and found her eyes resting on Domino.

“Is that...?”

Bartholomew nodded.

“Yes. The Demon Slayer. Quite the strange visitor isn’t he?”

The girl didn’t say anything. Instead, her attention went to the one standing next to Domino.

“Who’s that guy?”

Bartholomew thought to himself for a moment.

“My best guess is that he’s this sidekick that the Demon Slayer stated he’s been searching for.”

“Really? You think that guy is the Demon Slayer’s sidekick?”

Bartholomew shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t know. As I said, it’s just my best guess.”

Staring at Rorio for a bit longer, the girl frowned.

“If that’s the case, why do I get such a powerful sense of strength from him? Shouldn’t the sidekick be weaker than the one he supports?”

Bartholomew shook his head.

“Don’t be so foolish. Just because someone plays a supporting role doesn’t mean they can’t be strong. At least, that’s what I’ve learned from my experience.”

As he said that, Bartholomew thought back to his past when he had foolishly thought lower of his opponent. Only to find himself lying in the dirt.

Turning away from the screen, the girl put her arms behind her head.

“So what should we do? Should we tell the Lord about them?”

Bartholomew, who was brought back to reality upon hearing her words, nodded his head.

“That would probably be the best option for now.”

“I see. Then let’s get moving.”

The girl said as she started walking ahead of him.

Letting out the smallest of chuckles, Bartholomew turned off the screen and began following close behind her.

“I’m curious. Just what are your intentions in these lands, Domino the Demon Slayer?”

Bartholomew muttered this question to himself while he walked. All the while, Domino and Rorio continued making their way toward the city of Lust Street.

After a few more hours of walking, Domino and Rorio arrived at their destination. Domino’s eyes sparkled as he looked at the sight in front of him.

Looking at the same sight, all Rorio could do was roll his eyes and let out a sigh.

“Alright! Let’s get moving Rorio!” Domino shouted excitedly before running inside.

Letting out another sigh, Rorio followed close behind, and thus, their small expedition into the city Lust Street had officially begun.

Lust Street was an odd place. It had women in cages and patrolling streets, there were even some guys willing to go both ways.

This was the place of love for practically anyone. In other words, it was one giant brothel.

And while people were free to do how they pleased, for the most part, there were still some restrictions.

Because while almost everything love-related is tolerated, there are some things that just aren't allowed. Such as trying to flirt with other guests who aren't interested, as well as doing the deed anywhere other than inside rooms designed for such activities.

However, there is one rule that must never be broken. One that is by far the most crucial as well as the most ridiculous rule of them all. That being everyone must engage in romantic actions or it could result in either being hit by a love spell or forced to be seduced by the queen who was said to be the most beautiful woman in the city.

Though the latter punishment is kinda funny considering the queen had yet to actually engage in such activities as flirting and the like

Sadly, these rules weren’t clarified to Rorio and Domino who were standing at the gate.

“The city of lust. The city every creature desires to be in,” says Domino as he reads the sign near the gate.

Peeking inside, Domino’s smile couldn’t help but grow.

Seeing Domino’s reaction, Rorio let out an annoyed sigh.

As mentioned before, Rorio wasn't really one for romance. The very concept of love actually made him pretty uncomfortable.

Little did he know that these feelings would eventually lead him to a lot of problems within the city before him.

So. with two entirely different expressions, the two adventures entered the city of Lust Street.

The air echoed with happy laughs, sad crying, and seductive chuckles, as the two walked through the streets.

Rorio looked around and surveyed the area.

The houses all seemed to give off a purple and pink-like hue, the streets were made of solid concrete that was painted to look like a blend of blue, purple, and pink.

And while Rorio was looking around and checking his surroundings, he suddenly heard flirtatious chuckles nearby.

Looking toward the directions of the chuckles, he found a bunch of girls heading straight towards the two of them, or to be more precise, Domino.

Moving in close, Rorio whispered into Domino’s ear.

“I'm gonna keep looking around and obtain more information.”

Domino turned over to him and gave him a small frown.

He was hoping that Rorio would join him in enjoying the woman around here.

“Aw come on! Why not join me? You might even find a girl you like.”

Rorio rolled his eyes and turned around.

“I highly doubt that.”

Domino pouted in response.

“Well, I plan to have fun here! So if you wanna be a party pooper, be my guest!”

Moving towards the woman with a hearty grin, Domino left Rorio behind to his own devices.

Using his agility, Rorio quickly jumped from wall to wall before reaching the roof of one of the buildings.

Looking around, Rorio learned that the whole city was actually an enormous circle that spanned over several miles.

The whole thing reminded Rorio of a book he read a long time ago. It was honestly quite incredible.

After getting a good look at everything, Rorio started running from roof to roof to get a good look at the other parts of the city his eyes couldn’t see.

However, not too far off in the distance, there was someone watching him.

A strange-looking woman dressed in what seemed to be a ninja suit with a bow and quiver strapped to her back stared at Rorio with a furious expression.

She placed her hand to her ears in what seemed an odd technique when her finger started to glow.

“Attention Queen Lustrous. Someone isn't partaking in the loving activities of our city and instead is trying to run on roofs.”

She spoke in such a strange tone, that it almost sounded robotic. Although to be fair, it was protocol to speak in that manner.

Waiting for a response, the girl continued staring at Rorio as he hopped from roof to roof.

Suddenly a voice came through her ear.

“Understood Officer Quinta. Prepare to engage.”

The person whose name was apparently Quinta nodded in response and pulled an arrow from her quiver and aimed her bow at Rorio. The arrow shined a bright pink as an almost intoxicating smell floated off the arrow tip.

And then, a few moments later, a loud sound rattled through the air as the arrow flew straight toward Rorio.