"WHY IS IT SO BIG?!" Kazuya screamed, dodging a swipe from the golden mouse's massive paw.
"It's enchanted cheese!" Mika shouted, diving behind a pile of glowing cheese wheels. "Of course it attracted a giant mouse!"
Lyria, meanwhile, was running in circles, clutching a cheese wheel to her chest like it was her prized possession. "But it's so delicious!"
"DROP THE CHEESE!" Kazuya yelled.
"NEVER!" she screamed back, her eyes wide with defiance.
The golden mouse let out an ear-piercing squeak and lunged for Lyria, its glowing eyes locked on the cheese in her hands.
"This is ridiculous!" Mika growled, throwing a spear at the mouse. It bounced off its shimmering fur like a toothpick.
"Great," Kazuya muttered, drawing his sword. "The mouse is armored. Because of course it is."
The Great Cheese Heist
The trio scrambled through the Treasure Vault, the mouse hot on their heels.
"Okay, new plan!" Kazuya said, dodging another swipe. "We distract it long enough to find the exit!"
"Why don't we just give it the cheese?!" Mika snapped.
Lyria clutched her cheese wheel tighter. "No! It's mine!"
"LYRIA!" both Kazuya and Mika yelled.
As they argued, the mouse pounced, pinning Kazuya under one massive paw.
"Uh, little help here?!" he grunted, trying to wriggle free.
Mika leapt onto the mouse's back, trying to stab it in the eye. The mouse bucked wildly, sending her flying into a pile of cheese.
Lyria gasped. "Mika! Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Mika groaned, her face half-buried in a cheese wheel. "But I smell like dairy now."
"That's… oddly appealing," Kazuya muttered, only to immediately regret it when Mika shot him a death glare.
The Cheese Trap
"Wait!" Kazuya said, an idea forming in his panicked brain. "Lyria, can you summon more cheese?"
"Why?" she asked, dodging a swipe from the mouse's tail.
"Just do it!"
With a wave of her hands, Lyria summoned a mountain of glowing cheese in the corner of the room. The golden mouse froze, its nose twitching.
"It's working!" Kazuya said.
The mouse lumbered toward the cheese pile, completely ignoring the trio.
"Now what?" Mika asked, brushing cheese crumbs off her armor.
"Now we run!" Kazuya said, grabbing her arm. "Lyria, leave the cheese!"
Lyria looked torn but reluctantly dropped her cheese wheel and followed them.
The Tunnel of Temptation
The escape tunnel was long and narrow, with walls lined with glowing runes.
"This better lead somewhere safe," Mika muttered, still glaring at Kazuya.
"It's either this or the mouse," Kazuya shot back.
Behind them, the faint sound of squeaking grew louder.
"Uh… I think it finished the cheese," Lyria said nervously.
The trio broke into a sprint as the golden mouse barreled into the tunnel, its massive body scraping against the walls.
"This thing really doesn't quit!" Kazuya yelled.
Lyria tripped, falling flat on her face. Kazuya stopped to help her up, but in the process, they both tumbled into a shallow pit filled with—of course—more cheese.
Mika stood at the edge, looking down at them with a smirk. "You two really have a knack for finding the most embarrassing situations."
"Not helping!" Kazuya snapped, trying to climb out while Lyria giggled uncontrollably.
"Stop laughing and move!" he said, his face red as Lyria accidentally pulled him back into the pit while trying to stand.
The golden mouse rounded the corner, its glowing eyes locked onto the pit.
"Oh, come on!" Kazuya groaned.
The Final Showdown
As the mouse lunged, Mika threw herself in front of it, holding up one of the glowing cheese wheels.
"Hey, you oversized rodent! Want this?" she taunted.
The mouse paused, sniffing the air.
"Good," Mika said, tossing the cheese wheel down the tunnel. "Fetch!"
The mouse took off after it, its massive body shaking the walls as it disappeared into the distance.
"Did that seriously just work?" Kazuya asked, climbing out of the pit.
"Sometimes brute force isn't the answer," Mika said smugly.
Lyria popped out of the pit, holding another cheese wheel. "I kept one for later!"
Both Mika and Kazuya stared at her in disbelief.
"You're unbelievable," Mika muttered, shaking her head.
The Aftermath
Back in the coliseum, the trio collapsed onto a bench, exhausted.
"I don't care how magical it is," Kazuya said. "I'm never eating cheese again."
Lyria pouted, nibbling on her stolen cheese wheel. "But it's so tasty!"
Mika rolled her eyes. "Next time, we pick the least ridiculous quest."
As the crowd in the coliseum cheered their victory, Kazuya leaned back and sighed.
"At least we survived," he said.
A low rumble echoed through the arena, followed by the faint sound of squeaking.
"Don't tell me…" Kazuya began.
From the tunnel, the golden mouse emerged, now wearing a glowing crown.
"Oh, for the love of—RUN!"