The road in front of the Hotel had been marked off by lasers into a temporary restricted zone. A Gospel Floating Car rumbled as it slowly descended to the ground, its cabin doors sliding to either side to reveal a resplendent interior whose comfort was no worse than a hotel suite.
"Ash, over here."
Aside from Ash and Felix, everyone else was inside.
Sonia wore a black spaghetti-strap mini dress and lace-up black silk stockings. She patted the empty seat beside her, crossed her legs, and swirled a wineglass. Ash could practically feel the nearby onlookers' gazes shift from envy and jealousy to admiration—especially after Freya poked her head out and greeted him with a bright smile. The passersby's looks almost turned to pity as they watched Ash, who looked very much like a kept pretty boy, step into that soul-devouring Devil's Lair.
In fact, Ash's own senses told him much the same. Though the interior of the Floating Car was already fairly spacious, cramming nine people inside was obviously overloading it. On his left were Sword Maiden and the maid, on his right were Witch and Silver Lamp. Wedged in the middle, hand pressed against hand, he felt not the slightest sense of accomplishment from being surrounded by beauties. Instead, he was as cramped and awkward as a junior boy being bullied by four Seniors.
"Did we really all have to squeeze into one car?"
"Not many Gospel Floating Cars were imported. I could only get one." Siffrin drank the crimson, bloodlike wine and glanced at him with a smile. "It's not far anyway, so stop complaining."
"If it's not far, couldn't we take a car?"
"But we've been taking the Floating Car all day today, so we're too lazy to switch transportation."
Ash was a little curious. "Were