Way too late to ask but did the decals cause a "relief" above the original clear coat that just scuffing up the surface for adhesion and painting over them wouldn't have hidden?
I have a Kestrel EMS Pro and a couple of Easton EC90SLX forks and in all cases the decals are flush with the surface so no significant sanding would be needed to hide them under another coat of paint.
I do agree with the posters who said you didn't do any structural damage as it seems you stopped in plenty of time.