I Was Reborn in Another World, But I Awoke Inside a Corpse

Chapter 222: Foundations of a New Lilyshade

The air in Emberlight was unlike anything Asmodeus had ever known.

It was not simply clean—it was pure. Every breath carried a soothing resonance that gently wrapped around the soul. Her bare feet touched soft, silvergrass soil that pulsed with life, nourished not by sunlight or rain, but by the soul energy of the one who now ruled this world.

She stood at the edge of the relocated Lilyshade Vale, high upon a stone balcony newly erected by Isaac's will. Below her stretched the homes, gardens, and sanctuaries of her people—saved from annihilation, delivered intact into a sanctuary that could not be touched by gods, demons, or fate.

And now, it was hers to shape.

Asmodeus took a long breath and whispered, "We begin again."

The people had already begun to stir.

Succubi and incubi who had once prowled the deepest parts of the Abyss now planted vegetables alongside mortal farmers and celestial refugees. Children who had never known a night without fear were laughing in wide, open fields.

Everywhere she looked, there was life returning to what was once a gathering of survivors.

But Asmodeus wanted more than survival.

She wanted rebirth.

Later that day, in the newly constructed Council Arbor—a grand open-air amphitheater made of glowing barkwood and crescent-stone pillars—she stood before her people, her voice calm and clear.

"We are no longer in the Abyss," she said. "And we are no longer merely survivors. This land is alive with possibilities. With safety. With soul-deep magic."

She gestured behind her, and with a thought, summoned a large illusion in the sky—a projection of Emberlight's core blessings:

Soul-Calm Environment: banishing nightmares, soothing grief, accelerating healing

Fertile Mana-Saturated Land: no disease, no decay, always harvestable

Sanctuary Blessings: resistance to curses, soul corruption, divine wrath

Reinforced Identity: those who seek redemption will never be judged by their past

"This," she said, "is the world Lord Isaac has granted us. And I will shape it into something worthy of that mercy."

The crowd didn't cheer—they bowed. Quietly. Reverently.

One of the former cultists, now a healer, raised her hand.

"Lady Selene… will we still be Lilyshade?"

Asmodeus—Selene—smiled softly. "Yes. But not the Lilyshade that once hid in shadows and prayed for tomorrow. This will be the Lilyshade that leads, that heals, that offers peace even to the broken."

For the rest of the day, she walked the valley with her advisors, planning districts and zones.

A Redemption Academy would be established at the valley's heart, where former cultists, fallen celestials, and even young succubi could study ethics, magic, and community duty.

An Orphan's Dome would be built beside the mana-lake—a sanctuary not just for children, but for any soul lost and needing warmth.

A Soulforge Grove would train warriors—not for conquest, but for protection of the peace they now cherished.

The Aetherglass Library, which once burned in the Abyss, would be rebuilt brick by brick, with Asmodeus personally inscribing wards that no corruption could ever break again.

And around it all, Emberlight watched and responded. Trees sprouted where she stepped. Rivers curved to meet her needs. The land wanted to heal, to help.

For once, Asmodeus didn't have to fight to protect her people.

She simply had to lead them.

As the last glow of Emberlight's eternal twilight bathed the city, she stood on a balcony overlooking it all.

Behind her, a voice spoke casually. "Not bad for your first day as co-guardian."

She turned to see Isaac, arms crossed, watching the scene with quiet satisfaction.

Asmodeus's lips curled into a rare, serene smile. "I plan to make it better than anything we ever dreamed."

He nodded. "You will."

She looked forward again, her eyes glimmering.

And beneath that violet-gold sky, Lilyshade's second era had begun—not in darkness, not in hiding—but in hope.