Chapter 41: Separation Anxiety
"Is that the exit...?" asked Vahn, turning his attention to the center of the room as Grayfia released and stepped away from him, followed by Rias's narrow-eyed expression.
"I believe so," responded Grayfia, closing her eyes, ostensibly pretending not to notice Rias's annoyance.
Preempting Vahn's intervention, Rias suggested, "Go ahead and take a look with Akeno. I need to speak with Grayfia for a moment.
"How exciting~" hummed Akeno, grabbing Vahn's arm and leading him away as he looked back at the two voluptuous Devils with a concerned frown.
"No need to worry. They're just going to...clarify a few things..." assured Akeno, kissing Vahn's cheek before shepherding him the rest of the way to the exit, a large, rectangular section of blue crystal that ran from floor to ceiling with a dark grey gate bearing an inscription and what appeared to be a Devil's crest but with a howling wolf motif.
Drawn to the inscription, Vahn read aloud, "Beyond here lies the Queen of the Frozen Abyss's domain. Until the Master has realized his true nature, born from desperation and the desire to surmount all trials, this door shall remain sealed..."
"Queen of the Frozen Abyss..." repeated Akeno, touching her chin with her right index finger and tilting her head slightly as she speculated, "Could it be referring to the Hel, the Norse Goddess who presides over the frozen realm of Niflheim? But if that's the case...could the Corridor be connecting us to existing planes?"
"Is she related to wolves...?" asked Vahn.
"Quite literally," responded Akeno, smiling as she explained, "Hel is one of the three principal children of Loki, the Norse God of Mischief. The others are Jormungandr, the Midgard Serpent, and Fenrir, the Fated Devourer of Gods, said to consume the Chief God of the Norse Pantheon, Odin, during the time of Ragnarok..."
"Then, if you're right...does that mean we'll face Fenrir at the end of the Third Stratum...?" asked Vahn, turning to the door and extending his right hand to trace the base of the wolf motif. He couldn't explain it, but he felt a sense of familiarity toward it...
"If we do, I doubt it will be the actual Fenrir," reckoned Akeno. "That one should be confined on the Isle of Lyngvi, bound in unbreakable chains as it awaits the day of its fated release."