Just as Icaros had that thought, he heard a faint chichi sound - the sharp hiss of something cutting through the air. This time, it was far faster, and it sounded as if whatever was moving could slice through solid matter as easily as tofu.
In the next instant, the floor beneath him split open from below, the crack racing through the walls and spreading further than he could see.
Icaros barely threw himself out of the way, and suddenly found himself face to face with the culprit.
It was a massive arc of energy - he recognised it instantly as spirit qi, from the terrifying pressure that made his skin prickle tight and its bright blue glow. Yet this power was unlike any he had felt before: it was razor-sharp, carrying an aura as keen as the finest sword blade.
He analysed all this in a split second, while his instincts drove him to fling himself across the room, narrowly avoiding the strike.
His hair stood on end as another arc sliced up behind him, sealing off the space he had just been in and leaving only a small patch of floor where he could scramble for safety.
But that refuge didn't last. Before he could catch his breath, the ground beneath him crumbled away, and he fell headlong into darkness.
Outside, the entire massive ship was being torn apart. The strange blue arcs of spirit qi crisscrossed through the structure, slicing through metal, wood, and flesh alike, reducing everything in their path to fragments.
Like a shower of meteors, the broken remains - and everyone and everything still aboard - crashed down into a vast body of water. Far in the distance, the outline of an island rose above the waves.
At the very peak of the destruction, a faint human figure could be seen floating high above the sea, one hand outstretched toward the wreckage.
Seeing his work done, the figure did not pause to search for survivors. He simply lowered his hand and turned away, the hilt of a sheathed sword clearly visible strapped to his back. Without a single glance back, he turned into a streak of light and shot toward the island, his hand slowly reaching for his sword as he flew.
Meanwhile, Icaros was falling fast. A large chunk of the shattered ship slammed into him from above, sending him plummeting even quicker toward the water.
He barely felt the impact, his body unharmed by the debris battering against him. Instead, his mind raced at lightning speed.
Should I use my full abilities now, or keep holding back, only showing what others have already seen me do?
Two sides warred within him - one urging caution, the other screaming that enough was enough.
Before he could reach a decision, the remains of the ship, with Icaros amidst the wreckage, hit the sea.
The water boiled and churned violently for a minute, then slowly settled, swallowing every trace of the vessel until not even a scrap remained on the surface.
Icaros sank slowly into the dark depths, surrounded by twisted metal and the bodies of some of the other participants he had recognised. He looked around quickly, but there was no sign of his companions - Li Han, Su Yan, or Nelly.
Yet for the first time in a long while, he did not care about any of that. His eyes suddenly flared with an intense golden-yellow light, bright and distinct even through the water. With a roar that bubbled up through the sea, he shouted, "I am done hiding!"
In an instant, he shot upward at supersonic speed, breaking through the water's surface with a thunderous crash. He hovered there for a moment, eyes still glowing, staring down at the spot where the ship had vanished. After a few seconds, he turned his gaze toward the island ahead, his fists clenched tight.
Without hesitation, he shot forward, a golden streak of light cutting through the air as he closed the distance in mere moments.
Just as he neared the shore, a glowing barrier appeared - a dome of light clearly meant to keep intruders out. But Icaros was finished with holding back. He didn't slow down.
From his eyes, twin beams of golden-yellow energy burst forth - sharp, searing, and filled with crushing force. They struck the barrier head-on, and it didn't even slow him down. The light melted away like mist before fire, leaving a clear path. He flew through, the beams fading as he did, his face set in unyielding determination.
Once past the barrier, he slowed deliberately, floating gently downward until his feet touched the ground. His eyes still burned with that golden light, fueled by rage, years of suppressed power, and a new, clear purpose.
As soon as he landed, the landscape around him shifted. The mountains and rocks, all carved from glowing jade, reshaped themselves. Before long, the ground was swarming with figures - humanoid and monstrous, large and small, all formed entirely of polished jade. They had no flesh or blood, yet they moved with terrifying purpose and radiated immense power. Some were skeletal, others twisted beasts, but all closed in around him.
Icaros did not hesitate. He roared, and unleashed his eye beams again, sweeping them through the crowd. Wherever the golden light touched, jade crumbled, shattered, or melted away.
He didn't stop there. He lifted into the air, pushing his abilities to their absolute limit. With each movement came a thunderous boom. He darted between the monsters, throwing punches and kicks so powerful they tore their bodies apart - though the jade would begin to knit itself back together almost instantly.
But Icaros, lost in his fury, didn't care. His beams never stopped, slicing, burning, and blasting through everything in their path. He moved faster than they could react, his strength enough to overpower even the largest creatures. As he flew past a grotesque lion-like beast - far bigger than himself - he reached out, grabbed it by the leg, and swung it hard. Before it could recover, he snapped its neck mid-air, then aimed his beam straight down its throat. The golden light tore through its body from the inside out, blowing it into dust that would never reform.
Before the next wave could reach him, he turned his head in a wide arc, his laser sweeping through the horde and cutting them down in seconds.
It was clear now: his beams were even more effective at piercing and cutting than they were at just melting or burning, and nothing could withstand their explosive force.
The destruction went on for some time, until only one enemy remained - a huge bird-like creature that could fly. Icaros caught it mid-air, flew high into the clouds, and stared straight into its eyes as his beam burned through its skull and out the other side. With a sharp pull, he tore it clean in two.
Amidst the drifting jade dust, a grin spread across Icaros's face - wild, fierce, and bloodthirsty, the kind of expression he hadn't shown in years.
When the last of the monsters was gone, he shot forward again, a streak of golden light diving deep into the heart of the island.
Moments after he left, a young man was washed up onto the shore. He lay unconscious, his body covered in wounds, his grey robes torn and stained so badly they barely held together.
Around him, the ground bore clear marks of what had happened - scorch marks, deep gashes in the rock, and fine jade dust coating the sand. He lay there, alone, the only witness left to this tale of destruction.
