Belle who had opened the book Vervus was still turning the pages to go to the last one when Edgar slipped past by Lucas to come straight at her with the scythe in his hand ready to strike her so that he could take her back to the high tower. 

She quickly uttered a spell and Edgar for a moment froze but the next second he was free, who almost fell on the ground, "You little thing!" he cursed at Belle.

Belle frowned, wondering why the spell was not working on Edgar. It had worked fine on the other reaper who had sucked Barron and disappeared the fourth Grim out of sight. Why, asked Belle to herself and she rolled away from the ground before Edgar used his scythe to strike right at the place where she was standing.

Because of the impact of his scythe on the ground, more dust raised up in the air and Belle's eyes widened. "Are you trying to kill me?" she asked Edgar, who frowned at her question. 

"You are already dead. It shouldn't hurt much. How about you go back to the high tower?" Edgar proposed. Belle shook her head. 

"Give me a moment so that I can read the book. We can fight after that," Belle suggested back . Hearing this Edgar laughed. 

"Make a scratch on me, and I will let you read the book. Aye?" Edgar was not a lowly death reaper but he was part of the thirteen cards of the Grim reapers. Belle had fought with Lucas but it was only for fun. Lucas never meant any harm towards her but the same could not be told with the other Grim reapers, "It looks like neither one of us is going to agree, your only bet is to win against me which is impossible."

Belle desperately wanted to finish reading but Edgar would not let her read the spells. 

"And when did death reapers start to read. You little shitty things should not put your head into such complicated things by involving and mimicking the mortals," Edgar continued. Belle heard a loud clash that came not too far away from where she stood. Lucas was fighting with Moore and so far he was doing well, "You know there are other reapers who can smell you. Whatever scent was covering you has started to wear off and the reapers will be swarming to come and tear you into pieces." 

When Belle, who was still looking at Lucas' fight, Edgar took this opportunity to attack her. Belle's non-existent eyes that were not present in her skull snapped to see Edgar a few distances away from her. She clapped both her hands and brought out a blinding light that distracted Edgar for a moment. She then threw it at him, but Edgar deflected it away with his scythe. 

"You have tricks under your sleeve, girl," Edgar commented, his eyes narrowed down at her. 

"I have more of it," Belle said before tapping on the forbidden magic and pulling out the circled designs that had imprinted signs on it. With Edgar, even Moore who was fighting Lucas looked at the girl who pulled out forbidden magic. 

Moore said, "Looks like it was true. The girl indeed stole Winston's bone. He won't spare her, Cross."

"On whose orders did you come here?" Lucas asked Moore, his scythe and Moore's scythe clashing with each other non-stop and sparks of heat started to erupt out. 

Both of them didn't stand in one place and they either dodged or attacked. For someone who had a passive look on his face, moving as slow as a snail, right now, Moore's hands were quicker than Lucas. As gatekeepers, it was necessary to have quick hands to make sure no creature of the death would escape out from the portals, but some did manage in slipping out and into the land of the living. 

"The Hawverts. Winston," answered Moore. 

"Was there an assembly before Winston sent you to bring us back?" asked Lucas. 

Moore's blank eyes stared at the thirteeth Grim, "There was one. Gorron sent out a signal. Winston asked us to get the Grims and the reaper who stole things from the High Tower." 

Moore's hand swung hard with the scythe and Lucas dodged it by bending down. He used his leg to kick the Grim reaper who ended falling against one of the buildings that were around them. Having fought with many things in the land of the living, Lucas was much more agile than the others who only knew to catch souls like a fisherman catching fishes in the pond. Moore stood up unaffected. He cracked his neck left and right. 

In the midst of the fight, one of the death reapers arrived and went to attack Lucas, to only end up slumped on the ground because of the force that Lucas used to turn the lowly reaper unconscious. 

"Where are Crane and Winston?" Lucas inquired, staring at Moore's legs. For a moment his eyes went to look at Belle who strangely was talking to Edgar. But in that time, Moore took the opportunity to hit Lucas who in a second had turned himself to the reaper form so that it would be less impactful. 

"It is good to see you have not lost your skills," Moore complimented, even though he was the one who had attacked Lucas now. Not many of them knew it but changing to the dead form, reduced the impact of pain compared to their mortal form, "Crane was not in the High Tower. He disappeared somewhere. Therefore, Winston gave out the orders to us."

Lucas had fallen down on the ground and he stood up. Dusting himself, "How convenient." Unlike Gorron and Crane, Winston didn't hold the power or ability to apparate as quickly as the other two Hawverts. 

"I would have never pegged you to be a troublemaker. Surrender, Cross. It will be easier for everyone," advised Moore. Lucas chuckled before saying,

"You should ask Winston to surrender. Not us."

Moore's expression didn't change, when he asked, "Why should we do that?" 

"Because he was the one who has been manipulating time," replied Lucas.