The bird with at least twelve meters of wingspan stared down at Talon. Its three pupils moved independently, scanning the whole environment and evaluating whether that tiny human was any kind of threat.
Rhaaaaaa!
The past was thrown back several meters. It would be foolish to think the finest specimen of the fish-men species would be taken down that easily.
A monumental clash unfolded before Talon's eyes. He knew his abilities were beginning to push the limits of humanity, and he was sure of it now, the moment he realized he wasn't dead.
Of course, he was damn close, but not quite in the world of the dead yet.
But those monsters in front of him… The corals looked like rigid grass to their blows, and their movements were so fast his eyes could barely keep up.
Boom! Booom! Booooom!
The booms kept exploding as the spiraled spear and the beak of the three-eyed bird clashed violently.
"I need to move… I need to get out of here." Talon's wish wasn't becoming reality. His muscles didn't respond, something really was broken inside him, and each breath made his lungs burn.
"Fuck! I can't die here! Not after everything I've been through! Not after killing that redheaded bitch, not after handing my fate to a fucking tentacled devil! Not before I kill that whore of a former captain!" Talon screamed out loud, though he doubted anyone or anything, would hear him through the thunderous noise of the titanic battle taking place nearby. Those creatures surely didn't care.
A light gust of wind swept across his back, and finally, he managed to stand up. Talon couldn't see it, but the tattoo on his back seemed to twist into a wicked grin.
He began to trace a path. He'd already studied a pattern. It wasn't hard, not after using the massive pillar as a guide. He knew where his ship was. Hopefully, his crew was still alive and had waited for him.
His feet began moving through the coral wreckage. Hundreds of sharks, all sorts of colors, swam through the debris. Their fins triggered flashes of memories that felt distant now.
Then, the water started to stir. He jumped back just in time.
Half an arm from the fish-man leader had been ripped off and flung straight toward Talon's position.
Hundreds of sharks tore each other apart for a bite of that juicy meat. And in just a few seconds, nothing was left. Not even bones.
"Holy shit… They're worse than piranhas. That thing was the size of an average human…" Talon faltered for a few seconds, but quickly redirected his path and began running toward his planned route.
Confused minutes, muddy pain, and a burning sensation in his chest had to pass before the young captain realized he was close to the maritime path his ship should've followed.
But when he arrived at the meeting point, he saw absolutely nothing.
The echoes of the clash still rumbled in the background. Nearly an hour of battle had passed, and the two leaders were still going at it.
"Shit... Did they really ditch me? Those fuckers plan to sail with just four people??"
The sensation of being abandoned returned. The pain of always being left behind for the greater good of others. Of being seen as a burden. It made him throw himself to the ground and sit with his back against one of the corals.
Several minutes of solitude passed. A few sharks were already circling just below him, hoping he might be the next snack.
As the sunrise began to brighten the horizon, white sails appeared from the Coral Sea.
They were tattered, almost entirely ripped apart. Seaweed and coral clung everywhere. The bow had two holes nearly the size of a cannon blast.
But at the mast, two young blonde twins. Covered in blood.
The moment they saw Talon, they started screaming all over the deck.
The hunted look in the young captain's eyes softened slightly. A smile broke through his lips, barely. He quickly hid it again, but the weight of frustration and anxiety finally left his chest.
As the ship drew closer, the full extent of the damage became visible. The deck was a mess. Pieces of fish-men were mashed up with countless black feathers. The holes were so large, it was possible to see the lower deck from above.
The main mast was half-split, and Talon could've sworn he saw the rudder break from its mechanism and fall into the Nerd's hands.
Simon looked even worse. Dark circles under his eyes, blood, wounds. He was wrecked.
The other lens of his glasses was now cracked too.
The old man only became visible when they slowed down to let Talon climb aboard. He was sprawled on the upper floor, drenched in blood, with a massive claw mark across his chest.
Several cloths soaked with some distilled liquid. The kind of thing the Nerd was always tinkering with, covered the wound. But it still looked serious.
"Captain, you're alive!" the Nerd said with a faint smile of relief.
"You too, damn navigator. But you need new glasses."
Talon and Simon laughed, and the twins rushed to adjust the sails.
The helm was handed to Talon, and it didn't take long before the sunlight hit them again.
The water shifted from a murky green to the deep blue of the open sea.
The giant corals and spiraling limestone towers were left behind.
Talon and his crew had survived the Coral Shark Sea.
Beep! Beep!
[Saturation: 40% → 55%]
They had spent the entire day eating the salty meat of that damned sea lion, which now felt like a petting zoo animal compared to what they'd been through.
It took a full day to digest all that power, but the familiar warmth climbed from his stomach. Talon could've sworn his wounds were healing faster.
[Initialization: 8 days remaining]
With the second hellish day of the second stage of initialization rising behind them, Talon entered open waters with his crew.
Praying he'd never have to return to that place again.