Apollo walked straight past the two of them.
"Go inside!"
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Only when his footsteps faded into the distance and fell silent did Chakra and Sachi straighten up, drenched in cold sweat.
Not daring to dawdle, they hastily wiped away their sweat, stepped forward, and knocked softly on the door. A crisp voice answered,
"Come in!"
Only after receiving permission did they carefully push the door open and enter.
Apollo walked along the corridor. The oppressive atmosphere in the dim surroundings did not bother him in the slightest.
"The mission's failure wasn't their fault... Apollo~"
A soft female voice rose from the shadows, bringing Apollo to a halt.
Without turning around, he said coldly,
"What? You can't bear to see them receive the punishment they deserve, Athena?"
Athena, another of the Four Generals and the only woman among the Top Executives, leaned against the wall at the corner with her arms folded across her chest. Her expression was languid as she watched Apollo with an indifferent gaze.
At his words, she chuckled.
"Failure certainly deserves punishment. Even you and I are no exception~"
"Hmph! As long as you understand!"
Athena smiled silently.
"Removing them from the combat unit is one thing... but sending them to Dark Island, Apollo? The Three Beast Warriors belong to my operations unit. If you send them to Dark Island... Chakra and Sachi may never have a chance to rise again~"
There was not a trace of emotion in Apollo's voice.
"You should be concerned about Celadon City, rather than blocking my path over two failures... Athena!"
Tap! Tap!
With light, measured steps, Athena emerged from the shadows. Tall and finely featured, she wore a white women's uniform beneath a cloak, her red hair tied back and falling to her shoulders.
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