Sword Hunter: Dark Wings

You! Yes, you! Stop where you are!

Don't even think about touching that sword if you know what's good for you...

What the, ?! That's not happening. Who the heck are you guys, anyway?

Who are we, he asks...

Allow us to enlighten you from your ignoble ignorance.

Splendid sword hunter Trong! Strong man seeking strong swords.

Seductive sword huntress Muty! Swords and women only glow under admiration!

Singular sword hunter Glare! Every rare sword out there has my name on it!

Together, we are supreme sword hunters known as...

The Dark Wings!

D-Dark Wings?

That's right! The Dark Wings wander the world over for... The most rare and precious ultimate sword anyone has ever laid eyes on!

Hold up, Captain!

The ultimate sword hunter should be looking for the most beautiful sword! Just like yours truly.

Both of you don't get it.

There's no value in a sword without strength. Ergo, what we should be looking for is the strongest sword!

Come on now! The true value of a sword lies in its rarity!

No, beauty!

It's the strength, I say!

I can tell you guys are busy, so I'll just take my leave now...

Hold it right there! The point is, we're after your sword, and we're not taking no for an answer!

And you think I'm going to just give up Ogre Rancorem because you said so?

I really don't wanna battle you guys, though...

What's the matter, Aldo?

Oh, Cress! Didn't see you there.

Well, you were making quite a din, so I came by to take a look. Who are they?

Who are we, he asks... Allow us to enlighten you...

The Dark Wings or something. They want to steal my sword.

What?!

H-Hey! At least let us finish our introductions! Wait...

The sword of a swordsman is his life and soul... Yet here you are, scheming to steal one?

H-His beaming eyes cut straight into my twisted being...

And that commanding presence... This one's not to be trifled with, Captain. What now?

Grr... What a pointless question! So we now have to fight one more person, that's all! Get that sword for me if it's the last thing you do!

Don't be silly, Captain! We're clearly outclassed here!

But, but, but... We can't just run away with our tails between our legs after that awesome introduction! Hmm?

What's this hole?

It's pulling us in!

Hey... That's a wormhole!

Hahaha! Looks like you'll get to live to see another day! Much as it pains me to cancel our fight, we simply can't with this mysterious hole sucking us to who-knows-where! The next time we meet, your sword will be ours for the taking! Until then!

Wait!

The captain was planning to escape from the start, wasn't he?

Who cares about that?! Where does this hole even lead to?!

They're gone... Aldo, wasn't that hole...

A tear in spacetime. But I don't understand why it appeared here...

Whatever the reason, we can't leave them alone. The scenery we saw inside...

That was probably Elzion. Yeah, we'd better go help them.

What... Where in the world are we?

A strange town with strange people in it... It's making my head spin...

What was that hole all about, anyway?

There they are!

Thank goodness we managed to find you guys.

Let's see, err... The Really Black Feathers, right?

Absolutely not! So near yet so far! Pay attention this time! We are...

Splendid sword hunter Trong!

Seductive sword huntress Muty!

Special sword hunter Glare! Together, we are...

The Dark Wings!

It's rude to misremember names, so make sure you get it right next time!

Y-Yeah, of course.

Anyway, what is going on here?! This strange hole appears when we try to fight you, then we get sucked into a hole that dumps us in this crazy place!

I tried to stop you, didn't I?!

A likely excuse! This place is completely unfamiliar! You must've cast an illusion on us using that sword!

You've got it all wrong! Look, you guys were sent here by accident, all right?

That doesn't make any sense!

A sword that can cast illusions... That is a genuinely rare sword if I've ever seen one.

You're still trying to steal Ogre Rancorem from me?!

Once I seize the sword, this illusion will be dispelled, and I'll get what I want. Two birds with one stone!

I can't believe we followed them all the way here to help them...

Wait, Captain. Let me handle this.

Really, Muty? You have a plan?

Yes. I'll use the most lovely and beautiful sword in my arsenal. One swing of the sword will captivate even the hardiest of men, and then I'll strike when they're distracted!

That sword! No, don't do it, Muty!

Special treat for your eyes today! The most beautiful woman with the most beautiful sword...

Wh-What is it? What's happening?!

I told you not to do it! That sword has been polished to a mirror finish and it bedazzles anyone who comes near it!

Well, it distracted them like I said it would, didn't it?

Yeah... That was distractingly bright, I'll give you that. But didn't it distract you the most, since you were the one closest to it?

*gasp*

You JUST realized that?!

M-My trump card didn't even scratch them... I've reached the end of my beautiful rope!

Wait...

How perfectly convenient! We should seize this opportunity to regroup! Tactical retreat!

Wait!

They're escaping to another era?!

Well, we can't just leave Muty in the lurch. Follow her!

I just hope the next place is a better one...

Argh... Couldn't stop them in time.

I saw something like a volcano through the hole this time.

Has to be Ratle, then. We need to bring them back to their original time! I just don't understand why the wormhole keeps showing up?

Hang on... Is it just me, or have we seen that cat around before?

Where are we? It's so verdant here...

And everyone's sense of fashion is rather unique, too.

Are we still under the sword's illusion?

Found them!

That took us a while! Err... The Dark Wings!

I'm impressed that you got our name right this time. Nevertheless, I do believe reintroductions are in order.

Splendid sword hunter Trong!

Seductive sword huntress Muty!

Special sword hunter Glare! Together, we are...

The Dark Wings!

Why did I even bother to remember...

I can't believe you just keep throwing yourselves at us. Do you have a death wish or something? Whatever. That sword is ours now!

You haven't given up yet?!

Props for positivity, I suppose...

Allow me to take them on this time, Captain. With my strongest sword!

Strongest sword? Hang on, your body can't...

Look, we're not here to pick a fight...

I have deemed you worthy enough for the sturdiest sword in my collection. Let's see how you look like cut in half! Prepare yourself...

Gaaaargh!

Wait, what? I didn't even do anything! What's going on here?!

I thought so...

You thought what?

Yes, I should explain. Ever since Trong obtained this sword some days ago, he's been doing practice swings non-stop. I knew his body would break down sooner or later, and I was right. In plain words: He lost to muscle ache.

Muscle ache?!

Urgh... Go ahead, laugh at a man who only wanted to become as strong as the swords he wielded...

Nobody's laughing... But you really should have known your limits.

So are you guys going to return to your original time now or what?

But...

Meow!

Now what?!

Hey, that cat...

That color... Isn't that...

It's Shadow!

Why is Shadow here?!

We were so worried something untoward might have happened to you when you went missing, Shadow!

Hang in... Shadow's in real actual danger right now!

I'll die for Shadow if I have to!

Stand back, all of you!

You guys...

You're going to help us?

We're not gonna just walk away! Hey, you! Why don't you pick on someone your own size?

We managed to beat it... Hmm?

They went into another era while we were fighting the monster?!

Don't worry, Aldo. I saw Unigan through the hole this time.

Oh...so they made it back to their original time, then.

They were calling that cat Shadow... I wonder how they're related?

I have no idea, but we should probably go check things out in Unigan, too.

This is where we were from.

We made it back in one piece...

I hope those guys did, too.

Heeey! Guys!

Oh! The cat's with you, too. That's great!

You...!

You made it back safely, too. Thanks for helping us back there.

Don't mention it.

I'm curious, though. You were willing to put your life on the line for that cat, so it has to be your pet, right?

This cat is not a pet. It is a most precious and dear ally of ours.

It's your ally, you say?

To be honest, this cat was the very reason we formed the Dark Wings. We all happened to help Shadow when a monster was attacking, and then we hit it off with each other after that.

We named the cat Shadow and took him with us wherever we went.

Sadly, we kept bickering over what the most ideal sword was, and before we knew it, Shadow had vanished.

The pain of losing Shadow caused us to be led astray from our path... We went from proper and upstanding relic hunters to predatory marauders of sorts, living only for loot.

That's why you wanted Ogre Rancorem?

But... When we saw Shadow again, we were reminded of our oath.

Yes... The Dark Wings' oath.

We swear to find and obtain the sword of our dreams together, come hell or high water!

It's been a long time, huh? Since we swore this oath in front of Shadow.

There was no shortcut to the sword of our dreams after all.

I can't believe we forgot our beginning.

Perhaps Shadow came back again so as to remind us of those feelings we had left behind...

I apologize for the heavy-handed conduct just now. We shall be turning over a new leaf!

As long as we're on the same page.

One day, by our own strength, we'll find a sword that's stronger, more beautiful, and more unusual than yours. In the name of the Dark Wings, we will!

I'll be waiting.

Now that that's settled, I just want to know where Shadow's been hanging out all this time!

He wasn't in any town or anywhere we looked. Almost as if he had traveled beyond time and space.

You did mention something about a myth from your hometown before, huh? That cats are loved by some goddess and blessed with the ability to time travel.

*guffaw* Such romantic ideas don't suit you at all, Trong! You can't just jump around in time like that, even if you are a cat!

......

......

I agree! It's just a fairytale.

Right, Shadow?

Mew?

Putting aside HOW they managed to travel through time...

We should probably keep the fact that they did travel through time a secret from them, huh?

Now that we're all here... There's only one thing left to do!

Of course!

Yup!

Splendid sword hunter Trong!

Seductive sword huntress Muty!

Special sword hunter Glare! Together with Shadow, we are...

The Dark Wings!

Meoooow!