Lyla/Stories
Light is captured by Lyla, a young eco-hunter who mistakes him for a rare beast. Alk is quick to clear up the misunderstanding, and the group embarks on an interstellar ecological mission.
Alk: Well, that was easy.
Light: Don't let your guard down yet, Alk. Shadows lurk in every corner of the Kaleidoscope...
Lyla: Found ya!
Light: What?
Alk: Light!
Light: Wh-who are you?!
Lyla: One rare creature, secured!
Lyla: Now to bring you home to my professor!
Light: Unhand me! You've made a mistake!
Lyla: Huh, you can talk?
Lyla: Eh, the rare ones are always oddballs. Anyway, you're coming with me.
Alk: Hold it right there! Let go of him!
Lyla: Why? You a collector too?
Alk: He's not some kinda creature! Light's my friend, and he used to be a person—
Lyla: A person? Now you're just pulling my leg.
Light: He's telling the truth! I was chosen to fight the Lord of Shadow—
Lyla: The what now?
Lyla: Wow, you had it rough in your world. I can relate. My professor uses his powers to push me around all the time.
Lyla: That's why I've gotta make this delivery. If you have any complaints, take it up with him.
Lyla: Bye!
Alk: You can't just leave with him! That's kidnapping!
Lyla: Hey, it's called doing my job as an authorized hunter!
Lyla: And I've got my target drawn out right—
Lyla: Ah... That's weird.
Lyla: Uhhh, does this diagram look weird to you guys too?
Lyla: S-sorry about that! Can't believe I was looking at the thing upside down...
Lyla: Name's Lyla, and I'm an eco-research hunter.
Lyla: Here. Take these hunter candies as an apology. Just one lick, and even the fiercest monster will be brought to heel in less than 5 minutes!
Light: So these are for monsters, and not... us?
Lyla: It's totally safe for you to eat too! I chomp them on the daily!
Alk: Somehow that makes me trust them even less...
Alk: Anyway, why were you looking for that creature?
Lyla: It was a request from the Guild! Which technically went to my professor, but uh... He sent me.
Lyla: Apparently, the Kaleidoscope's been affecting the local ecology. They needed some researchers to look into it.
Light: It must be because the Kaleidoscope is a link between worlds.
Lyla: You know about that? Hunh. Must not be your run-of-the-mill adventurer then.
Lyla: Say, you haven't seen this weird creature around, have you?
Light: You mistook me for this BEAST?
Alk: Wait. It looks like one of those things from Endless Blue...
Lyla: So you HAVE seen it? Where?! Tell me, tell me! I really need to grab one!
Lyla: I don't have much time before my professor decides to roast me alive!
Alk: Uh... Doesn't sound like this guy should be a professor.
Lyla: Some academics are just devils in disguise, I swear. Anyway, info please?
Light: How consequential is this quest of yours?
Lyla: VERY! The fate of the world depends on it! No way I can walk away empty-handed!
Alk: I'm starting to think you need to find a new job...
Lyla: Maybe!
Alk: Well, there's been rumors of a sea monster rising from the depths. Not sure if it's what you're looking for, but it's the only lead we've got. Light, you don't mind showing her the you-know-what Flipper, right?
Light: Not at all. Lyla, we shall help you save this world.
Lyla: Yeees! Thank you!
Lyla: Let's hash out a plan then!
Lyla is sent on what seems to be another wild goose chase when her professor orders her to find a bird shrouded in flames. Just as Lyla and friends are about to give up, a mysterious creature appears, sets itself on fire, and flies away. Lyla picks up the feather it leaves behind, excited to present it to her professor.
Lyla: Sorry for dragging you along. AGAIN.
Alk: Don't worry about it. We like learning about your job.
Alk: And at least the tentacle monster makes a good story, right?
Lyla: Well, aren't you a charmer! Here's a hunter candy for you!
Alk: Th-thanks... How many of these do you even carry around?
Lyla: So a message just came in. Looks like the professor sent us our next target!
Alk: An immortal fire bird that prophesizes misfortune? The heck?
Light: Where do you think it lives?
Lyla: No idea. Sounds mythical, so it might not even be real in the first place.
Lyla: The professor loves sending me after legends and fairy tales.
Lyla: He's always like, "If it ends up being real, then the effort will be worth it."
Alk: That's not very responsible of him...
Lyla: His goose chases sometimes work out though. Like that one time I ended up finding an actual living Mogu.
Lyla: He's, uh, eccentric, but aren't all geniuses?
Alk: So, at the end of the day, you still respect him.
Lyla: Respect? Alk, I wanna be like him!
Alk: Well, let's see if we can find this bird!
Lyla: Heck yeah! No pain, no gain!
Lyla: Ughhh, we're never finding this thing!
Light: If only we had more information...
Alk: If only we knew it existed...
Lyla: I'm sorry for wasting your time, you guys.
Alk: Hey, none of that, okay? We tagged along because we wanted to!
Light: Chin up, Lyla. Success goes hand-in-hand with failure—
???: Roooaaar!
Light: What was that?
Alk: Over there!
Lyla: C-could it be...
Light: Well... We've confirmed it exists.
Lyla: Hold it! You're not getting away!
Alk: Lyla, we'll go from the other side and cut it off—whoa, hot, HOT!
Lyla: Gaaah! Put it out, put it out!
Light: That was not the brightest idea...
Alk: It got away...
Light: That's to be expected. We had no strategy, no knowledge of the enemy, nothing.
Lyla: It wasn't a total loss! We actually saw it with our own two eyes!
Lyla: And we even got one of its tail feathers! This is a major discovery, people!
Lyla: I hope the professor will be happy...
After she receives a letter claiming her professor is in trouble, Lyla rushes home, but finds her way blocked by monsters. She deals with them without killing any, while her professor watches from the shadows to gather data. He eventually emerges to compliment Lyla, who is actually his granddaughter, on a job well done and reveals he was never actually in any danger.
Alk: There you are, Lyla.
Lyla: Morning, Alk! What's up?
Alk: I've got a delivery from the Guild in Palpebra.
Alk: Whoa! Lyla?!
Light: Why the rush?
Alk: Light, look at this!
Light: No...
Lyla: Professor, just hang on!
Lyla: Wait, what?
Lyla: Argh, get outta the way!
Lyla: The professor... The professor's waiting for me!
Alk: Lyla!
Light: Go to your professor!
Lyla: I want to, but these guys...
Alk: What about them?
Lyla: Me and the professor captured them a while back. He should have him trained!
Lyla: I don't want to hurt them, but... They leave me no choice!
Alk: Lyla, watch out!
Lyla: Thanks!
Lyla: The professor's house is just ahead!
???: Grooaar!
Alk: That's a big one...
Lyla: We can't waste any more time. We've gotta finish this—and fast!
Light: I'll distract it. Look for an opening!
Light: NOW!
Teacher: Enough!
Teacher: Excellent. Just look at this data.
Lyla: Wha?
Lyla: P-Professor, I thought you were in danger...
Teacher: Hehehe, I wanted to observe how these fellows would fight if their lives were at stake. For science, of course.
Lyla: Then that letter about you almost dying...
Teacher: All a lie.
Lyla: Guh...
Teacher: Had to fib a little. Otherwise you wouldn't have fought seriously, eh?
Lyla: Waaaah! You're the worst, Professor!
Alk: I second that.
Teacher: You've proven yourself to be a true hunter. Not a single monster died in the scuffle.
Teacher: What'd you think, kiddo? My grandkid's pretty talented, right? Gahaha!
Alk: You're her grandpa?!
Teacher: Sure am. I remember her as a little sprout, following me around and begging me to be a hunter...
Teacher: Now look at her, making friends from different worlds!
Alk: You can tell just by looking?
Teacher: I wasn't a hunter for fifty years for nothing! But that thing floating behind you... Truly curious.
Teacher: Gwah!
Lyla: I can't believe you, Grandpa! You put my friends in danger!
Alk: Lyla, go easy! You were worried about him, right?
Lyla: Professor, you jeeeerk!