Danmachi with Haki skill - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: The Minotaur’s Shadow

The morning sun had barely risen when Kaito and Bell stood before the Dungeon’s entrance once more.

“We’re only going to the fourth floor,” Bell reminded him, his white hair ruffled by the wind. “No deeper.”

Kaito grinned, clapping him on the shoulder. “Relax. We’ll stick to the easy stuff today.”

Bell nodded, relief flashing in his ruby-red eyes.

He believed him.

Kaito almost felt guilty.

Almost.

—

The 1st Floor was child’s play.

Kobolds lunged—Kaito crushed their skulls with his bare fists before they could blink. Bell, growing bolder, landed clean dagger strikes, his movements sharper than yesterday.

By the 4th Floor, they had a rhythm.

Kaito would predict the attacks with his Haki, and Bell would strike the openings.

“You’re getting better,” Kaito admitted, watching Bell dispatch a Goblin with a clean slash to the throat.

Bell beamed. “Thanks! It’s all thanks to you—”

“Don’t get sappy,” Kaito snorted, ruffling his hair. “Just keep your guard up.”

Then, his grin turned sharp.

“Actually, wait here.”

Bell blinked. “Huh?”

“I’m gonna run ahead real quick.”

Bell’s face paled. “W-Wait, Kaito! We promised—”

“I’ll be back before you know it!” Kaito called over his shoulder, already sprinting toward the 5th Floor stairs.

Bell’s protests faded behind him.

—

The 7th Floor was a nightmare given form.

The walls pulsed with an unnatural rhythm, veins of glowing crystal throbbing like exposed nerves. The air reeked of musk and iron, the scent of chitin and blood thick enough to taste.

And the Killer Ants—

They were everywhere.

Size: As large as wolves, their exoskeletons glistened like polished obsidian under the dungeon’s eerie light.

Speed: Faster than a Level 1 had any right to handle, their six legs a blur as they skittered across walls and ceilings.

Strength: A single swipe of their serrated mandibles could shear through flesh and bone.

But Kaito?

He was ready.

—

His fists shattered chitin like glass.

A Killer Ant lunged—he sidestepped, his Haki flaring, and crushed its thorax with an uppercut.

Another came from behind—

He ducked, spun, and elbow-dropped its skull into the ground.

His F-rank Strength and D-rank Dexterity turned his body into a weapon. His Haki made him untouchable.

For a moment, he felt unstoppable.

Then—

A roar shook the dungeon.

Not the chittering of ants.

Not the screech of goblins.

Something deeper.

Something worse.

Kaito’s blood ran cold.

—

The ground trembled with each step.

The walls cracked as something massive forced its way through the narrow corridors.

Then—

It emerged.

The Minotaur.

Size: Towering at over three meters, its muscles bulged like boulders beneath its scarred hide.

Strength: Each swing of its great axe could cleave a man in half without resistance.

Eyes: Glowing red with primal fury, locked onto Kaito like he was prey.

Kaito’s breath caught.

“This thing… is a Level 2 monster.”

And he was still Level 1.

—

Every instinct screamed at him to run.

Every shred of common sense told him he’d die if he fought.

But his heart—

His heart pounded like a war drum.

“Bell will fight this thing. And won.”

The thought burned through him.

If Bell Cranel, a scrawny rookie with nothing but a dagger and a dream, could slay a Minotaur—

Why couldn’t he?

His fingers curled into fists.

His Haki expanded, the world sharpening around him.

The Minotaur roared, its axe rising—

And Kaito smiled.