In this Second Chance at Life, where I can see skills as clear as day, everything feels like a breeze. And to make it even better, I’m spending my days joyfully with my First Love. - Chapter 58

“Yasushi-kun!!”

When I opened my eyes, Ichika, her tear-streaked face swollen red, pulled me into a tight embrace.

It was a little suffocating, probably because my stats had been drastically reduced, but the ache in my chest wasn’t physical—it was emotional.

The meeting with the Supreme God. My first defeat.

Along with it, I lost everything. The ability to see stats in this second life, my skills, my level—all of it was gone.

The sense of loss was overwhelming. And the regret—why had I stepped through that door?

I knew it was a place where the Supreme God held the advantage.

Maybe I had grown complacent. Defeating the 128 gods had been too easy, and perhaps I’d let it go to my head.

I didn’t know enough about gods. I hadn’t anticipated that my skills could be sealed.

Even if they had been, I assumed they wouldn’t be able to use their skills either, and I’d be able to power through with sheer force.

But the reality was different. My skills were sealed, while the Supreme God’s stats—including their skill multipliers—far surpassed my own. I never stood a chance.

“…I’m sorry.”

“No… I’m just so glad you came back to me, Yasushi-kun. That’s all that matters.”

Her voice, tinged with tears, reached me from where she held me tightly, her face buried against me.

I must have worried her terribly. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying.

I’d never seen Ichika cry before.

The fact that I’d made her cry—someone so strong and unshakable—only proved how much of an idiot I was.

I wanted to fall to my knees and apologize profusely.

But that wasn’t what I should do right now.

Despite making Ichika cry, despite how apologetic I felt, a part of me was deeply moved by the fact that she cared so much about my well-being.

That feeling overwhelmed the guilt.

So instead, I said:

“Thank you, Ichika. I love you.”

“…I love you too.”

And with that, we shared a kiss.

Monday, March 14th.

Even though I’d lost all my skills and stats, I was grateful to have come back in one piece.

Spending time with Ichika, I realized that three days had already passed since that day.

Well, I suppose it wasn’t surprising. I had challenged someone who called themselves the Supreme God on their home turf.

If anything, the fact that only three days had passed was remarkable.

Looking back, it’s a miracle I survived.

Thinking about how close I’d come to death sent a shiver down my spine.

Wanting to piece together the events of the past three days, I borrowed Ichika’s smartphone to look up recent news.

As for my own phone… well, I never really used it since the only person I wanted to call was Ichika, and we were always together. It was probably dead and forgotten under my bed.

Since I’d saved the world from the stampede, I figured I should at least check the results.

Though, honestly, with the lack of casualties, the news was probably full of trivial scandals about famous adventurers cheating on their partners or something.

News Headlines:

• • “Yasushi Sashima: The Criminal Who Summoned Monsters to Earth and Played Savior by Defeating Them”

• • “Yasushi Sashima Violates International Security Treaties: Calls for His Arrest and Execution”

• • “Yasushi Sashima, a Dangerous Individual, Linked to the Terrorist Organization ‘Star of Devotion’”

• • “The Prime Minister Praises Yasushi Sashima’s Efforts, Plans to Award Him a Medal of Honor”

Eighty percent of the headlines were criticisms of me.

The first article’s sensationalized title was written to grab attention, but the content was no better.

It accused me of orchestrating the arrival of the monsters so I could “play the hero.” The writer even criticized the Prime Minister, claiming, “Only a fool would reward such a deceitful man.”

I could understand foreign countries viewing me as a threat and demanding my execution or imprisonment for the sake of their own national security.

But as a recognition of my efforts to save the world, the overall judgment felt… abysmal.

And as for the accusations about the “Star of Devotion”—a criminal organization exploiting skills and professions—letting them go free after they “repented” may have been a mistake.

“Yasushi-kun…”

Ichika’s voice, full of concern and sadness, reached me as she looked at me with worried eyes.

My chest tightened.

Sure, this was just online chatter, but judging from her expression, it was likely unsafe for me to go outside.

As I read the second article more closely, something else caught my attention.

I looked around, realizing for the first time that this wasn’t our usual house.

Though the interior was similar, the windows were reinforced with heavy iron bars, and the view outside was unfamiliar.

The TV and internet worked, but this was no ordinary home.

I could only guess at the kind of world that awaited me outside.

“Were we detained… as part of some diplomatic arrangement?”

That thought lingered in my mind as I scanned my surroundings.

But my biggest concern wasn’t about being detained. It was whether I, in my current state, could protect Ichika.

I had lost all my stats, skills, and my profession—I had become far weaker than before.

The old me could have easily destroyed this flimsy containment facility with a single blow.

But now…

“At this rate, I’ll probably have to rely on Ichika to protect me for a while,” I muttered.

Ichika was strong enough to handle herself—she didn’t need me to protect her.

Still, as a man, I wanted to be the one protecting her, not the other way around.

“I’m sorry,” Ichika said softly, guilt evident in her voice.

“No, this isn’t your fault. I lost my strength because of my own decisions. There’s nothing for you to—”

“…The day after you left to fight, a woman claiming to be the Supreme God came to me. She said, ‘If you want him back, you’ll have to give up all your skills and stats.’”

The Supreme God. That bastard.

A wave of anger surged through me. That wasn’t a god—they were a tyrant.

Next time we met, I wouldn’t just punch them—I’d kill them.

But alongside my anger was a deep sense of gratitude.

Ichika had fought for me. She had sacrificed so much to bring me back.

I already owed her more than I could ever repay, yet she’d gone even further for my sake.

“…Thank you.”

I pulled Ichika into a tight embrace, whispering my gratitude.

She nodded lightly, her voice barely audible as she replied, “You’re welcome.”

The more I examined this containment facility, the more ridiculous it seemed.

The Supreme God had defeated me. They had stripped away my stats, skills, and even Ichika’s strength.

No matter how kind, sweet, or angelic Ichika was, I couldn’t suppress my frustration.

I couldn’t help but feel angry.

This building—this pathetic excuse for a cage—was something I could have reduced to rubble effortlessly in my previous state.

In an attempt to calm myself, I decided to do some light exercise: 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, and 100 squats.

Even so, being trapped in such a flimsy facility only fueled my irritation.

Finally, unable to contain my frustration any longer, I threw a punch at the wall.

To my surprise, my body remembered how to punch.

Even without my combat or physical skills, my body instinctively executed the technique I had spent over two years perfecting through countless sparring matches with my clones.

My muscles remembered. They remembered how to channel power, how to maximize force with weight and momentum.

Even the way I used to infuse my strikes with mana—it all came back naturally.

My mind remembered too.

How to handle mana efficiently. How to run parallel thoughts simultaneously.

With a deafening bang, the sound echoed through the room.

The wall—reinforced with what appeared to be a one-meter-thick metal plate—buckled and cracked, leaving a gaping hole.

Upon closer inspection, the metal wasn’t ordinary.

It was orichalcum.

Even though I had lost my skills, stats, levels, experience points, and profession, my body had retained everything.

I understood it instinctively.

The actions I had repeated and refined over time weren’t just part of my growth—they had become an inseparable part of me.

The Supreme God hadn’t taken my Unique Skills. Or maybe… they couldn’t.

One thing was certain: I wasn’t weak.

With the strength I still had, I knew I could protect Ichika—even if the entire world became my enemy.

That certainty filled me with profound relief.

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