Third Arc (Fallen Heart) - 191. The Cave IV

Angel and Rose exchanged a quick glance, their eyes filled with determination. They knew that they were in a precarious situation, but they were not about to back down now.

"We need to ambush them," Angel whispered, his voice low and urgent. "If we can take them by surprise, we might be able to defeat them before they can mount a counterattack."

Rose nodded in agreement, her expression serious. "But how do we do it?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "There are too many of them, and they have the advantage of the high ground."

Angel thought for a moment, his mind racing as he considered their options. "We need to split them up," he said finally, his voice firm. "If we can lure a few of them away from the group, we might be able to take them out one by one."

Rose nodded again, her eyes shining with fierce determination. "And then what?" she asked, her voice tinged with excitement. "Do we charge the rest of them?"

Angel hesitated, his brow furrowed in thought. "No," he said finally, his voice low and cautious. "We need to stay hidden and wait for the right moment. If we can take them out a few at a time, we might be able to whittle them down to a more manageable number." If the Magic Shield didn’t limit his power, he could take them down easily. Sadly, with his limited power and no soldiers with him, he needed to stay cautious.

Rose nodded; her eyes filled with understanding. "And what about the guards outside?" she asked, her voice low and hesitant. "What if they hear the fight?"

Angel shrugged, his expression resigned. "We can't worry about them now," he said. "We have to focus on what’s ahead, and deal with them as best we can."

With that, the two of them crept closer to the edge of the ledge, their eyes fixed on the rebels. They waited patiently until they saw their chance.

One of the rebels had wandered away from the group, drawn by the sound of a small animal scurrying through the underbrush. Angel seized the opportunity, darting forward to strike the rebel with a swift blow from his sword. His hand covered his mouth.

The rebel went down with a muffled cry. Still, the rest of the group spun around in surprise since the cavern was too quiet. Angel and Rose darted back into the shadows, hoping to avoid detection.

For a moment, there was silence in the cavern, broken only by the sound of the rebels' labored breathing. And then, suddenly, the group began to move, searching for their attacker with a mix of fear and anger.

With the element of surprise on their side, Angel and Rose moved quickly, darting forward to strike the next two rebels before they even knew what was happening.

Rose whipped out her poisoned whip, her movements smooth and deadly as she lashed out at the rebels. The whip coiled around the first rebel's ankle, and with a quick tug, she brought him to the ground.

Angel was there in an instant, his sword flashing as he delivered a swift blow to the rebel's neck. The man crumpled to the ground, his eyes wide with shock and pain.

The second rebel tried to fight back, but he was no match for Rose and Angel's combined strength and skill. Rose swung her whip again, this time catching the rebel's sword arm and disarming him with a sharp twist.

Angel moved in quickly, delivering a swift kick to the rebel's chest that sent him sprawling. Before he could recover, Angel plunged his sword into the rebel's heart, ending his life with a single, brutal blow.

As the two rebels lay motionless on the ground, Angel and Rose exchanged another quick glance before they hid in the shadow again.

With each rebel they encountered, Angel and Rose worked together flawlessly, their movements coordinated and precise. They would wait until the rebel was close enough before launching their attack, taking them by surprise and making quick work of them. Then they would hide.

Although they were worried that the guards outside would have heard the commotion and come to investigate, it seemed that the guards were either preoccupied or simply unaware of their presence.