The soft wind blew through the open field behind SMK Keningau II, where Nel sat peacefully under the shade of a large tree.
A holographic screen floated in front of him, displaying an endless list of powers he had absorbed from countless dimensions.
He scrolled and scrolled...
> "Absolute Consumption"
"Dimensional Authority"
"Cosmic Overlord"
"Soul Dominion"
"Reality Bender"
"Primordial Sovereign"
(...and thousands more)
The list seemed bottomless.
"Ugh... there's too many..." Nel mumbled, feeling dizzy from the endless scrolling.
Suddenly,
soft hands covered his eyes from behind.
"Guess who?" came a soft, shy voice.
Nel smiled immediately. "Chelestar."
Chelestar giggled lightly and uncovered his eyes, stepping in front of him.
Her cheeks were tinted a soft pink, her expression shy but happy.
Nel's eyes widened in surprise.
Floating behind Chelestar were nine shimmering fox tails, each one glowing faintly with different colors.
"Wait... nine tails?!" Nel stood up in amazement.
Chelestar blushed harder and nodded, tapping her fingers together shyly.
"I... um... I fought many monsters while you were gone," she said, almost whispering.
"Every time I won... another tail appeared."
Nel listened closely, smiling gently.
"My second tail gave me the Power of Love Healing — I can heal wounds instantly if I pour my feelings into it..."
Chelestar looked away shyly. "And... my third tail awakened after I beat a Medusa monster. Now... I have the Medusa Gaze."
She peeked at Nel nervously. "Don't worry! I can control it! I won't turn you into stone!"
Nel chuckled warmly.
"I trust you, Chel."
She smiled, relaxing a bit, her tails waving slowly behind her like dancing lights.
"Now... each tail gives me a different ability," she said proudly but still shy.
"Nine tails... nine powers. I'm... not done yet. I want to get twelve!"
Nel sat back down, smiling. "You'll get there. I believe it."
Chelestar smiled back warmly.
Then, her eyes sparkled with curiosity.
She leaned forward slightly, her hands behind her back, swaying a little.
"Umm... Nel... can you show me your powers too?" she asked in a soft, eager voice.
"You must have gotten so strong after your dimensional travels!"
Nel laughed a little. "Which one? I have... way too many."
Chelestar blinked, thinking hard, her tails flicking adorably.
"Hmm... something cool! Something that won't destroy the school field, please..." she added, half-joking.
Nel grinned mischievously.
"Alright, alright. I'll show you a small one."
He raised his hand slowly.
Suddenly, the sky above shifted — the clouds spiraled into a glowing symbol, and tiny stars rained gently from it, dancing around Chelestar like floating fireflies.
Chelestar gasped, amazed, her golden eyes wide in wonder.
"Wow... it's so beautiful...," she whispered.
Nel chuckled. "That's just a small fragment of one of my newer abilities... Cosmic Embroidery."
Chelestar turned toward him, smiling brightly, pure admiration in her eyes.
"You really are amazing, Nel."
Nel scratched the back of his head, a little embarrassed.
As they sat together under the shimmering sky, Chelestar happily told him more stories about her adventures while he was gone —
and for a moment, the two of them forgot about the battles and responsibilities waiting for them in the future.
They simply enjoyed the peace — together.