Miracle Card Shop: All My Cards Can Be Actualize

— Los Angeles —

Perched on a prime hill overlooking Los Angeles sits an opulent and glamorous residence. Even at a glance, it's clear this house belongs to a Hollywood big shot, nestled as it is along roads leading to renowned film studios and production companies.

Inside the master suite of this luxurious sanctuary lies a couple, a man and a woman. Signs of last night's passionate activities are everywhere—the lingering scent of desire fills the room, with various questionable stains dotting the space.

"Ummm…" The woman, with pink hair, slowly sits up, glancing at the man sleeping soundly beside her, a smile on her lips. This is the first time she's felt this deeply cherished, leaving her not craving more. She's surprised her curse of lust didn't stir, urging her toward stronger desires. For once, she feels content. She's had enough of the infamy and the labels others have given her, calling her a whore.

This pink-haired woman is none other than Lust, the Witch of Lust—second only to Greed as the weakest among the Witches of the Seven Deadly Sins.

"Darling… it's morning. You need to go to work, or that paranoid Cao Cao might decide to send an assault team to drag you in," Lust said, shaking her partner, James, a werewolf, awake.

"Mmm… tell that paranoid bastard I'm taking vacation," mumbled the man, pulling the blanket over his head.

"You used up all your vacation days," she replied with a sigh, smiling. Her man was no different from a lazy dog, resisting every effort to wake him from a nap.

"Then… tell him I'm sick," James grumbled.

"James… you're a werewolf. You don't get sick; even a Necroplague couldn't touch you, and you're an Alpha," Lust reminded him, shaking him a bit more insistently.

"If you don't get up soon, tonight I'll drain you to the last drop and then tell everyone you can barely last a minute. I'll even start a rumor and call you 'The Minuteman'—ha! Get it?" Lust chuckled mischievously.

Hearing this, James shot a look at her. "That's not funny…" he protested, but he finally gave in, grumbling, "Fine, fine, have it your way. I'm getting up." He climbed out of bed, muttering all the way to the bathroom to wash up and get ready for work.

Lust smiled, then followed him into the bathroom, where the two spent more than an hour together in the bath. Their laughter and occasional moans drifted out, stirring the staff who'd come to clean up after their night of passion.

"Ugh… I hate this job," muttered one of the cleaning staff as she began tidying up the aftermath.

"Stop whining and start working. You get $300 each time you clean this room. Isn't that enough motivation?" her coworker replied with a sigh.

"Yeah, I know, but seriously—do they go at it like there's no tomorrow? What are they? Rabbits in heat?" the first staff member grumbled.

"Just shut up and work before they come out of the bathroom. I've already had enough of the smell, and I don't want to risk my pay getting docked because of your incessant whining!" the second cleaner retorted, a hint of frustration in her voice.

After some time had passed, Lust instructed her pilot to use her personal helicopter to drop James off at Liberty House, where he worked as a permanently stationed special agent. She then returned to her office at her company.

In truth, however, she was only there to pass the day in her own room. This company, founded and funded by Greed's wealth, was now largely managed by professionals Greed had hired, tired of Lust's tendency to disrupt business. As a result, Lust had become nearly a "paper tiger," though few in Hollywood were aware of this.

Lust lounged on her couch, a large bucket of popcorn in her lap, watching a movie. She loved films, and her presence made people think she was working, since the company was a film production studio. In reality, she was simply passing the time in her favorite way.

"Ahhh, I wish Gluttony would drop out of the sky and make me something delicious… I'm craving her cooking. Please, someone…" she muttered. Anyone who'd tasted Gluttony's cooking would understand; it was unforgettable.

At that moment, flames burst in the center of her private mini-theater, forming a demonic magic circle. The flames quickly converged into the shape of a man, and then vanished, revealing a handsome figure who stood smiling at her. It was none other than Asmodeus, the Hell Lord of Lust and Corruption.

Unfazed, Lust groaned. She was used to seeing him, though she didn't welcome it. "I asked for Gluttony, not you! Go back to your hole already," she snapped in irritation.

"Oh, come on, darling, that hurts! Can't I, the owner of your power, check in on you?" Asmodeus replied, feigning offense with exaggerated gestures.

Lust snorted. "You? Just say what you want and stop bothering me. I'm working, can't you see?" She pointed to the screen with an overly serious face.

"You? Working?" Asmodeus gave her a look as if he'd just discovered life on Mars, then waved his hand to draw back the curtains, revealing the sunlight outside. He produced a compass from nowhere, holding it up as he studied the position of the sun.

"But… the sun is still rising in the east! This is impossible!" he exclaimed with mock shock.

Grinding her teeth in frustration, Lust growled, "Just shut up and get to the point already. You're so annoying!"

Not all Hell Lords see their witches as mere servants or pawns. Among the seven major Hell Lords ruling over the Seven Deadly Sins, two have developed more harmonious relationships with their witches.

This is partly due to Envy's unique position, having been powerful enough to negotiate favorable terms during the formation of the contract. If she had the opportunity to intervene, she could ensure a better life for future generations of her witch.

Still, most Hell Lords establish contracts with witches either to create a mortal representative of themselves or to simply "fatten" their prey, like a farmer raising a pig for slaughter. Some take advantage of minor loopholes in the contract clauses to exploit their witches—much like Lucifer did with Pride.

"Okay, darling, I'll stop joking. I just need you to do something for me," Asmodeus said, producing a small box. Inside was a ring adorned with a large gemstone, the size of a thumb.

"Give this ring to Daniel Emberweave, and make sure he wears it," said the Hell Lord, with an uncharacteristic solemnity that indicated this was a serious matter.

Lust took the ring box, examining the ring closely. With her limited knowledge, she couldn't tell what secrets it might hold. "Are you trying to set me up, or worse, get me killed? If this thing does anything stupid, I'll have to answer to Teacher Envy. Not to mention, I wouldn't want to spend restless nights losing my sleep and worry that someone will come to off me in my sleep—and I definitely don't want to deal with a demon god like Orochi. I don't want California to sink into the sea," she said, her voice thick with suspicion.

"No, no, no," Asmodeus replied, waving his hands repeatedly. "Nothing of the sort, darling. This ring is simply a direct blessing and a little power of convenience for Mr. Emberweave. There's nothing wrong with it. I didn't spike it or pull any tricks... [mostly]," he added silently to himself.

The ring was indeed harmless to Daniel, but it would covertly transfer any significant deeds or achievements Daniel accomplished to Asmodeus, as if Daniel were offering the results of his worthy deeds directly to him. This way, Asmodeus would gain the full power from these worthy offerings without lifting a finger.

"Are you sure? Just know that if anything goes wrong, I'll absolutely drag you down with me," Lust said, pressing him again to make sure there was nothing suspicious about the ring that might come back to haunt her.

"If you're so sure it's harmless, why don't you just give it to him yourself?" she asked.

At this, Asmodeus made a conflicted face. "Well… You see, three other major Hell Lords have already met him face-to-face, and each one either got beaten to a pulp or nearly died. I'm not exactly a thrill-seeker, at least, not that kind of thrill."

"Three out of three… I just… don't like the odds" He added.

"Fair point," Lust nodded, sighing. "Fine, I'll help. Let's hope I don't regret this." She took the ring box, placed it in her bag, and used her phone to book a plane ticket to New Atlantis.

"Oh, darling, thank you very much. Goodbye!" Asmodeus said, grateful, before vanishing back to his abyssal realm, leaving Lust alone to run his errand.

"F*ck*ng p*ssy," Lust muttered under her breath, irritated that Asmodeus didn't dare meet Daniel face-to-face and ruin her sweet time with her man—all while she continued booking the plane ticket.