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."

Furrowing his brows, Vahn muttered, "No person or creature should be chained against its will...even if it sounds cruel, it would be kinder to put them out of their misery..."

"In their defense, the Norse Gods tried killing Fenrir, but each attempt only made it stronger and its hatred more potent..." revealed Akeno, her eyes gaining a hint of melancholy as she stated, "Though, I do empathize with what you're saying. If I were chained in such a manner, my desire for revenge might be the only thing keeping my heart and mind from breaking completely..."

"Any luck, you two...?" asked Rias, approaching Vahn and Akeno with her hands on her hips and a slight frown, followed closely by a closed-eyed, faintly smiling Grayfia.

"If the Master it refers to is me, it says I need to realize my true nature, born from desperation and a desire to surmount all trials. It won't open before then," explained Vahn.

"Mmm...well, if we assume you were meant to fight your way here, the best course of action is to return to the Eighth Floor and allow you to keep progressing at your own pace," reasoned Rias, crossing her left arm under her breasts, resting her right elbow atop it, and stroking her chin.

"I'm fine with that," affirmed Vahn, adopting an apologetic smile as he looked to Grayfia and added, "Sorry, Grayfia-san. It looks like you will have to wait until I get stronger before you can explore further."

"Oh, don't mind me, Vahn-sama," responded Grayfia. "In fact, it makes sense that the Corridor would limit the progress of others based on its Master's improvement. If you could request an Ultimate or Super-Class Devil to clear it at your behest, it wouldn't be much of a trial."

"Thank you for understanding," said Vahn, supplying a curt nod before smiling unpretentiously.

"That said, what will you do from here on...?" asked Rias, regaining a slightly ill-tempered look.

"I will assist Lady Rias and Akeno-san in their Magical training," answered Grayfia, stating, "The two of you are already outstanding Mages, but there is always more to learn, even at my level."

"In other words, you're planning to follow us around..." remarked Rias, a faint sigh escaping her nose as she closed her eyes and conceded, "But I suppose Vahn can't be the only one in our group making progress..."

"A wise decision, my Lady..." expressed Grayfia, offering a courteous bow before rising to her full height and directing a meaningful look at Vahn.

"Don't even think about it! Akeno...!" exclaimed Rias, seizing the initiative to wrap her arms around Vahn from the front as Akeno moved around and did the same from behind, causing Grayfia to cover her mouth and stifle a soft chuckle before she grabbed his hand, enabling him to return them to the Eighth Floor...

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'Mmm...this is kind of lonesome without Rias, Akeno, or Koneko following behind me...' thought Vahn, making his way through the grided passages of the Ninth Floor alone. Back when he initially explored the Corridor, he didn't mind the solitude in the slightest. Now that he had gotten used to at least one person being with him at all times, offering him compliments or affection, he felt decidedly less motivated...

"Hmm...?"

Noticing a section of the wall lining the passage move, Vahn stepped back, hands raised, just in time to evade its collision with the opposite side of the passage. A large, three-meter-tall bear covered in emerald green with branch-like spikes sticking out of its shoulders emerged from the newly formed pathway, but rather than panicking, a smile adorned Vahn's face as he charged to meet the much larger creature head-on, his right fist connecting with the center of its body.

Ostensibly not expecting the force behind Vahn's punch, the bear-like monster hugged its stomach with its oversized arms and paws as it was pushed back a short distance, glaring at him with hate-filled yellow eyes.

"Don't get angry, get even...!" exclaimed Vahn, bouncing from left to right on the tips of his toes before lowering his body and charging in when the bear ceased protecting its midsection. Instead of a heavy blow, however, he only landed a quick jab before stepping back, evading the bear's large, orange-hued claws.

"Way too slow...!" exclaimed Vahn, an adrenaline-fueled smile developing across his face as he rewarded the bear's efforts with a heavy blow to its left jaw and snout. When he saw it was temporarily dazed, he followed up with a devastating left uppercut, knocking it off balance as he spun mid-motion, retracting his arms and right leg to drastically accelerate his turn before landing a straight kick against the bear's midsection, causing it to once again hold its stomach as it collapsed face-forward onto the ground.

Waiting several seconds, Vahn eased out of his stance but didn't relax his guard as he approached the downed bear, his expression softening into a firm look as he expressed, "Sorry, but I have too many things to protect. I need to get much stronger..."

Not wanting to see the creature suffer any longer, Vahn manifested his Legendary Spear in his right hand, stabbing the bear in the center of its forehead. He was pleasantly surprised to notice that he had gained two Power instead of the usual one, but once his high from the battle settled, he regained a somewhat melancholic expression as he unequipped his spear and made his way down the new passage, once again missing the presence of the girls he had come to cherish...

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"Oh, wow...someone's feeling affectionate..." remarked Rias, smiling but feeling a little flustered as Vahn embraced her and buried his face into her breasts the moment she was summoned via their contract. She was even more surprised when he abruptly threw her over his shoulder, causing her to panic slightly as Akeno and Grayfia materialized a short distance away, their eyes widening slightly at the sight.

"You two get started on food," said Rias, resisting the urge to laugh as she added, "And if we're not back in an hour, come and rescue me."

"Have fun, you two~" hummed Akeno, feeling a tad bit envious but smiling and waving as Grayfia, staring at her with her right brow raised, asked, "Is this a routine occurrence...?"

"Not that I'm aware," responded Akeno, shaking her head before adding, "But Vahn is a very delicate boy. We still don't know his full story, but we can infer he's been through a lot. Now that he's found a place he can call home and people he cares about, I sup—"

the not-so-distant sound of smacking and moaning

"Shall we get started on dinner...?" asked Akeno, gesturing to the far end of the Checkpoint.

"We should," affirmed Grayfia, taking the initiative to summon an entire kitchen setup for her and Akeno to make use of as Vahn engaged Rias in an intense, pre-meal workout in the distance...

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"I think I like this more forceful side to you...but are you going to tell me what happened...?" asked Rias, holding Vahn from behind and kissing his cheek as he sat on the edge of the bed he pulled out from his Inventory.

"Nothing in particular..." responded Vahn, smiling as he placed his right hand over Rias's, linked together over his chest. Then, before she could point out there was clearly something wrong, he explained, "Exploring on my own just made me realize how empty life is without someone to share it with. Then I got to thinking about fatherhood, the phrase inscribed on the door, and...yeah...I just wanted to see you and show you how much I care about you..."

"Then you're free to abduct me whenever you please..." whispered Rias, planting another kiss on Vahn's cheek before holding him in silence for a while, enjoying the moment.

Catching Rias a little off guard, Vahn confided, "If that Riser guy tries to force you to marry him...I think I might kill him. And then I really will take you away..."

"I don't want you to kill for me, Vahn..." expressed Rias, putting a bit more strength into her arms as she reassured him, "Even if we end up losing the Rating Game, I will never marry Riser. You are the person—the man I have chosen to spend these next ten thousand years..."

"Then I won't kill him..." muttered Vahn, gently squeezing Rias's hand as he contended, "But I will break him..."

"Mmm...as long as you leave his little chicken finger functional, his family shouldn't mind too much..." responded Rias, the image of a girl with very blonde hair and pigtails appearing in her mind as she smiled and added, "Though...even if that happens, I know at least one way you'll be able to repay them. Just leave the specifics to me..."

"Nn..." responded Vahn, closing his eyes and focusing on the feeling of Rias's breasts pressed against his back. Akeno arrived a short while later to inform them that the food was ready, but instead of going to eat, Vahn got up and embraced the raven-haired girl, surprising her with a deep and passionate kiss that invariably transitioned to the bed as Rias left them to their own devices, wishing Akeno good luck before disappearing into the darkness of the Checkpoint in her birthday suit...

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