The waterfall fell from a circular drain in the shadowy ceiling. They were trapped inside an enormous circular cistern as big as a sports arena. The small sandy island in the center was surrounded by dark waters, and lit from all sides by more of the sewer system’s standard hanging lamps. Protruding from the ground in the center of the beach island was a large cast iron circular pipe, covered with steel grating.

“There’s no obvious exit,” said Sakura, stating the obvious.

“So we are stuck here,” said Daphne, plopping down into the sand with a huff.

“Could we not try to climb back up through the waterfall?” asked Claire.

“Good luck trying,” said a snide Belladonna.

“Well there has to be a way,” said Claire. “It would be unfair otherwise.”

Edge cringed inside. Levia was an unfair world. Of all people, he thought Claire would understand that the best. After all, she was the one who witnessed her team die around her.

“We can’t just sit around,” said Daphne, sitting around.

Edge grunted, meaninglessly.

“Good idea, Edge,” said Sakura. “We should search the entire area again.”

“Oh, I know!” announced Daphne, jumping to her feet and putting her hands on her hips. “It’s time for Team Edge’s amazing beach adventure!” She made a peace sign, and tilted her head while winking. “We’ve been looking forever. Please can’t we take a little break?” She made her cutest pleading face to the group.

“I don’t have a swim suit,” said Claire.

“None of us do,” said Belladonna. “We don’t really need them. It’s only us and Edge, anyway.”

“Is this what they call ‘skinship?’” Sakura teased.

Edge tried not to listen. Being in a party full of cute girls was surprisingly difficult. Though their initial search had yielded nothing, still they could at least do some training for a bit. Then take up the search again after lunch . . .

“I-I-I have extras!” panicked Daphne. “No-no-no nudity!” Daphne had bought a variety of swimsuits for her special costume abilities, which she hadn’t yet found a use for. She opened her inventory and each of the girls made a selection. Daphne chose the cutest, the blue one piece school swim team uniform, before any of the others tried to steal it.

The yellow bikini Sakura chose was far too small for her, but the choice was rather cunning. She wouldn’t lose to anyone, and her exotic elf body was one of her greatest weapons. Her tactics were perfect, and she smiled behind her glimmering eye glasses.

Claire spilled out of Daphne’s white one piece, but it was the least lewd of the choices left to her, and she could always wear a t-shirt over top. She wasn’t like the rest. She wasn’t doing this to impress Eugene. He wasn’t her hero. Not at all. That delinquent couldn’t be. Absolutely not. No way. She blushed.

Belladonna went with the black bikini. Thankfully, she was closest in size to Daphne, and there was even a hole to poke her tail through. Plus by choosing the black, she and Edge would be a matching set. Claire and Sakura weren’t really her type, but she could appreciate beauty when she saw it. It didn’t hurt that Daphne was filled with her usual spunk, a flaming passion that spread into Belladonna like wildfire.

Edge tried to relax. He really tried. But this wasn’t actually the beach, was it? They were trapped in an underground sewer, where although they didn’t seem to be in any immediate danger . . . ‘How close did I come to dead?’ he asked himself. The girls faces had told him everything he needed to know. And like magic, he was supposed to just go back to normal, like nothing even happened? ‘How do they do it?’ He truly wondered. These weren’t your ordinary girls. They were so incredible. Edge watched them playing in the water. Daphne and Belladonna turned a gecko skin into a makeshift volleyball, and they were having a water polo match.

“Team Kiten vs. Team Melons,” Daphne declared to her audience of one.

“I love watermelon,” said Claire, in complete innocence.

“Yes, we love watermelons, don’t we Edge?” Sakura teased, wrapping an arm around Claire’s waist.

‘Please, don’t bring me into this,’ he begged with a glare at Sakura.

“The winner gets a kiss from Edge!” Daphne blurted.

“Done,” said Sakura.

“Sounds interesting,” purred Belladonna.

“A kiss,” said Claire awestruck, touching her lips as the idea melted in her brain. “I don’t-” She was cut off by the evil aura radiating from Sakura and Daphne, lightning sparked between the pair; any objections to this perfect plan were going to fail. “Maybe, one kiss . . .” She looked at Edge, “. . . would be okay.” She poked her index fingers together, and turned her beet red face away shyly.

Whenever all four of the girls were in agreement on anything, Edge knew he was in for trouble. But it was sort of fun too. Fun . . .

“Don’t worry, Claire. This is going to be easy,” said Sakura. She was lined up against Daphne to start the game, and the taller Sakura was at a clear advantage.

“I’m not worried. If we are going to play, we might as well win.” Claire dunked the inflated gecko ball under the water, and it jumped upwards in between Daphne and Sakura, beginning the game.

Daphne flexed her muscles, “we’ll see about that.” She used a patented Kiten dash to jump up into the air at lightning speeds, snatching the green ball from Sakura’s grasp. She tossed it backward, toward an already moving Belladonna.

“Too easy,” said Bell. Claire had barely recovered from the opening toss, and Belladonna was already beside the goal. She tossed the gecko through the posts with ranger accuracy.

“One point Team Kiten,” said Daphne, exchanging high fives with Bell. Sakura was whispering something into Claire’s ear, and Claire’s eyes bulged with joy as she nodded at whatever Sakura was scheming.

“We shouldn’t underestimate them,” reminded Bell.

Daphne nodded at the remark. The game was only just beginning.

Claire waded in front of her team’s goal, ready to block incoming Gecko attacks.

Daphne won the next toss up too. The Kiten dash ability was extremely OP. But for some reason, Sakura looked rather pleased, as if everything was going according to one of her evil plans. What was Sakura thinking?

In Edge’s estimation, it wasn’t looking good for Team Melons. The Kitens maintained complete control of the ball, though Claire was doing an able job blocking Belladonna’s shots. This was turning into a shooting gallery . . . He only hoped they were training their swimming skills during this vacation. They might need a better swim skill to get out of here. It was impossible for him to forget where they were, not just in a sewer, but in Levia. Was this what it was like to be normal? To have friends?

Sakura’s full-defense strategy seemed to be paying off. Daphne was already growing frustrated, and signs of Team Kiten’s low stamina were becoming increasingly noticeable. It was time to activate part two of her plan. “It must be true what they say about cats and water,” Sakura taunted.

“I am not a stray cat without a bell collar. I’m a cute Kiten,” Daphne replied, frustrated.

Edge raised his eyebrows. Was this what they call psychological warfare?

“Don’t listen to her, Daphne. We’re still winning,” said Belladonna, unaffected by Sakura’s trickery.

“Yes Daphne. Just do whatever Belladonna tells you,” Sakura goaded. “Let her score all the goals, and you can go for a nice swim. I’m sure Edge will see how useful you really are.”

“You shouldn’t say such things,” Claire scoffed. “She’s just a little girl.”

Little girl, little girl, little girl . . . The words reverberated in Daphne’s head. Her ears twitched in cold anger. “Bell . . . Give me the ball,” she said, coldly.

“Daphne, I don’t think we should-”

“Ball. Give. Me.”

Belladonna shrugged and passed over the green gecko. She sent an extra glare at Sakura for taking it this far. It was only a game. There was no reason to get Daphne all fired up like this . . . though, it was cute to see the angry, wet, one piece Daphne splashing around and making a fuss. The game was Daphne’s idea anyhow, perhaps she deserved it.

“I’ll beat you Melon brains! Take this: Daphne’s spectacular super awesome new move, [Mega Spike].” She tossed the ball high into the air. Dashing upwards she raised both fists above her head, and sent them crashing down into the shocked green gecko ball.

Wasn’t that the same double-punch she always used?

The missile spun wildly toward the goal. Claire covered her face with crossed elbows to protect herself. The ball ricocheted of her chest, skimming over the water back toward the Kiten goal. “Owie!” Claire shrieked.

“No, stop it,” called Daphne. Belladonna was already dashing toward the goal.

“I don’t think so,” said Sakura. Her [Firebomb] was already on its way, steaming under the water. It exploded, blasting a tidal wave in all directions.

Edge watched the wave push the gecko through the goal posts. There was no time for celebration. The wave didn’t stop there. It grew, launching Belladonna, the closest to the detonation, across the lake. It hit Daphne and Sakura at roughly the same time, setting them both on a collision course for the beach. Claire pinched her nose and closed her eyes, dunking herself under the water in expectation of the inevitable.

The wave broke upon the beach, and the rivals washed up in front of Edge’s feet. “Game over,” he said. The pair were both too dazed to argue. A loud fart noise gurgled.

“That’s disgusting,” Belladonna told him.

“It wasn’t me,” defended Edge.

“Ladies don’t pass gas in the open,” backed up Claire, wringing out her hair as she waded out of the water.

He was under attack, and the girls looked perfectly happy using him as the scapegoat.

A second noise rumbled. “I’m telling you, it wasn’t me,” he told them flatly. The girls stared back toward him. “It-”

“Edge,” interrupted Sakura. “We believe you.” She touched him on the shoulder and pointed behind him, where all the girls eyes were locked.