Akuma's heart was racing as she stood face to face with Lady Haruka's minions. She knew that they were in grave danger, but she was determined to protect Zela and their love.
Zela, too, was standing tall, her eyes flashing with defiance. "Leave us alone," she spat. "We're not afraid of you."
But the men just laughed, their eyes gleaming with malice. "Oh, we'll leave you alone, all right," one of them sneered. "But first, we're going to teach you a lesson. You're not good enough for the likes of Lady Haruka's daughter. You're just a commoner, and you'll never be worthy of Zela's love."
Akuma felt a surge of anger at the man's words, and she took a step forward, her fists clenched. But Zela caught her arm, holding her back.
"No, Akuma," Zela said, her voice firm. "We can't fight them. There are too many of them, and they're too strong. We need to think of a different plan."
Akuma nodded, her mind racing. She knew that Zela was right - they couldn't take on Lady Haruka's minions in a physical fight. They needed to come up with a different plan, one that would allow them to outsmart their enemies and escape.
As they stood there, trying to come up with a plan, Akuma suddenly remembered something. She remembered a secret passageway that she had discovered in the gardens, a passageway that led to a hidden exit.
"Zela, I have an idea," Akuma said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Follow me."
Zela nodded, and Akuma led her to the secret passageway. They slipped inside, finding themselves in a narrow, dimly lit tunnel.
As they made their way through the tunnel, Akuma could hear the sound of Lady Haruka's minions searching for them. They were getting closer and closer, and Akuma knew that they had to move fast if they were going to escape.
Finally, they reached the end of the tunnel, and Akuma pushed open the hidden exit. They found themselves in a dense thicket of bushes, surrounded by tall trees that blocked out most of the sunlight.
Akuma took a deep breath, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. They had made it out of the gardens, and they were safe - for the moment.
But as they stood there, catching their breath and trying to come up with a plan, Akuma suddenly heard a rustling in the bushes. She turned to see Lila, Zela's servant, emerging from the underbrush.
"Mistress Zela, I'm so glad I found you," Lila said, her eyes wide with worry. "I've been searching everywhere for you. Lady Haruka is furious - she's been searching the entire estate for you, and she's not going to stop until she finds you."
Zela's face went white with fear, and she grabbed Akuma's arm. "We have to get out of here," she said. "We have to find a way to stop my mother once and for all."
Akuma nodded, her mind racing. She knew that they had to come up with a plan, and fast. They couldn't keep running forever - eventually, they would have to face Lady Haruka and her minions head-on.
But for now, they just had to focus on escaping. They had to find a way to get off the estate and make their way to safety.
As they stood there, trying to come up with a plan, Akuma suddenly heard the sound of horses' hooves in the distance. She turned to see a group of riders approaching, their faces obscured by masks.
"Who are they?" Zela asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Akuma shook her head. "I don't know," she said. "But I think they might be our only hope."