Case #10-The Harvester’s Genocide, Part 3

Sixteen years ago…

"We're here, we're here!" Grim stammers as he bursts through the front door of the log cabin belonging to his brother-in-law and Chief of the Spyridon Clan, Soul Spyridon, and his sister-in-law, Rosalind Spyridon. Trailing behind Grim, is his wife, Clarabella Reaper, and their three year old son holding her hand, Ezra Reaper.

"Has the baby been born yet?!" Grim cries as he frantically looks around.

"Settle down, Grim, you don't know how laborious childbirth is," Clarabella sighs. "My sister needs her rest."

But then, Grim spots Clarabella's sister, Rosalind, laying in bed with a faint smile. She's surrounded by Clarabella's younger sister, Lucine, as well as her husband, Soul. In her arms, is a crying baby swaddled in a blue-knitted blanket.

"Congratulations, Soul!" Grim says as he rushes over to the Harvester and gives him a firm handshake.

"Thanks," Soul says with an exasperated sigh as he runs his free hand through his hair. "I'm going to need you to give me some parenting tips, Grim."

"So it looks like you're next," Clarabella smirks as she elbows her younger sister, Lucine, in the ribs.

"Please," Lucine snorts as she rolls her eyes. "I'm only nineteen. And you know how I hate kids."

"What did you name him?" Grim asks as he smiles at the newborn baby, who looks up at Grim and laughs.

"Zach," Soul answers as he strokes his newborn son's head. "We've decided to name him Zach."

"Welcome to the world, little baby Zach," Grim softly says.

***

"Grim Reaper." A man nods to Grim as he enters a large conference room and takes a seat at the long table.

"Rhys Reaper," Grim nods back.

Sitting across from Grim, is another Reaper, Nash, and sitting at the head of the table, is Zion Reaper, current Head Reaper.

"Mind telling me why I'm here, boys?" Grim asks as he leans back in his seat.

"I have summoned the three most prevalent Reapers in our community to discuss an important matter: the Harvesters," Zion explains.

"What about them?" Grim asks.

"The Harvesters have become too powerful to be left alone," Zion explains.

"Have they now?" Grim asks. "I don't stalk the Spyridon Clan like you guys like to do."

"Yes, well...the Harvesters have become powerful, too powerful," Zion continues. "And powerful enough that if it came down to an all out war between our two clans… they would surely win."

"No shitting…" Grim sarcastically mumbles, clearly uninterested in this conversation.

"And on top of that, Nash here who has been using his illusion Soul Technique in order to infiltrate the Harvesters has come up with some valuable and worrisome information," Zion continues as he motions to Nash, who nods in response.

"According to my information, the Harvesters are planning a coup d'etat against us Reapers in revenge for treating them like the Soul Powerless vermin that they are," Nash explains.

"Are you serious?!" Grim shouts as he jumps up and slams both fists on the table, demanding the attention of the other Reapers towards him. "The Harvesters are planning no such thing!" Grim exclaims. "The Chief Harvester just gave birth to his son, so why would he put his life on the line now at all times?!"

"And how do you know this, Grim…?" Zion growls.

"I've heard that Grim is friendly with the Harvesters," Nash smirks.

"Oh really…?" Zion asks as he raises his eyebrows at Grim.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Grim asks. "The Harvesters are Reapers, just like us! They're peaceful, and keep to themselves, and wouldn't harm anyone! But for some reason we treated them like slaves and brutalized them for not being able to use Soul Energy!"

"You're right, Grim," Zion smirks. "The Harvesters aren't planning a coup d'etat against us."

"Then why did you say they were?" Grim asks as he looks back and forth between Zion and Nash.

"Because it'll give us an excuse to slaughter them all," Zion answers, causing Grim's eyes to widen. "I have no doubt in my mind that at some point, the Harvesters will plan an attack against us Reapers. And since they are already stronger than us, in order to stop them from getting stronger...we'll need to stop them now. And by saying that the Harvesters are having a coup d'etat against us Reapers, we can get all of the other Reapers on board with our plan."

"And what…is your plan…?" Grim asks, his voice quivering.

"To enact the Harvesters' Genocide."

Grim's eyes widen as his entire body begins trembling. "Y-you can't do that…" he stammers, as a nervous grin spreads across his face. "You'd be killing every man, woman, and child Harvester alike, no one is evil enough to do that, right…?!"

Zion is silent.

"Right…?"

And then, Zion, Nash, and Rhys begin fading away.

"NO!" Grim cries as he jumpers out of his seat and draws his scythe. "They were illusions?!"

***

Clarabella laughs as she sits on the floor, playing with her son, Ezra, but playtime is interrupted when Clarabella hears a bang, causing her to look up as three men kick down her door. Zion, Nash, and Rhys Reaper.

"Wh-what is happening…?" Clarabella nervously asks.

***

Meanwhile, Soul is happily sitting in his cabin home, taking care of his wife and his new born son, when Lucine bursts through the door.

"Soul! Rosalind!" She cries.

"What, Lucine, what's the matter?!" Soul cries as he jumps out of his seat.

"The Reaper's…they're here!" Lucine sobs, causing Soul's eyes to widen. Soul peers over Lucine's shoulder and scythe the chaos outside, watching as dozens of reapers storm the village, using their scythes and Soul Techniques in order to slaughter every Harvester in sight.

"I always knew that they would do this…" Soul sadly says as he stares at the ground. A wave of confidence then washes over Soul as his head shoots back up and scowls. "Lucine, you stay here and protect Clarabella and Zach!" Soul orders as he snatches up his leather messenger bag -the bag that would one day belong to Zach- and storms towards the door.

"M-me?!" Lucine cries. "You know how weak I am, you should stay here and protect your wife and kids."

"No," Soul answers. "As the Chief Harvester, it's my job to go out there and fight. Everyone in this village is my family."

"S-Soul…?" Rosalind asks.

"Don't worry, Rosalind," Soul says as he turns and peers over his shoulder at his wife. "I'll protect you."

And then…Soul turns around again and exits the cabin, joining the battle against the Reapers.

***

"CLARABELLA!" Grim cries as he busts through the door. And right when he does, he sees Zion Reaper with his hand clutched tightly around Clarabella's neck, as he lifts the woman off of the ground. Clarabella kicks and scratches at Zion's hand in protest, but all attempts to break free are futile.

"Gr…im…" Clarabella weakly grunts as her eyes flutter over to her husband.

With a roar, Grim takes a step over to Clarabella, but he's stopped when Nash appears in front of him. In one hand, is the throat of Ezra, who cries out and flails against Nash's grasp, and in his other hand, is a dagger with a hooked, jagged blade, pressed to Ezra's throat.

"Take another step forwards, and you die," Nash smirks.

"Dammit…" Grim grumbles.

"I know what you've been doing, Grim," Nash continues. "Getting all cozy with a Harvester…even having a son with her…it makes me sick. And as for your punishment …your wife and son will be slaughtered, just like the Harvester scum that they are!"

"No!" Grim cries.

"Please…don't…" Clarabella weakly croaks. "Ezra…is only half a Harvester… he's half Reaper too, so please, spare him…"

"Half a Harvester is still a Harvester," Zion replies as he tightens his grip on Clarabella's neck, causing her to grunt in pain. Ezra cries out as well.

"LET GO OF THEM!" Grim roars as he swings his scythe towards Nash with all his might, causing the Reaper's eyes to widen as he hops backwards to dodge, dropping Ezra in the process.

"Woah!" He yelps.

"You fool!" Zion snaps as he turns to face Nash. This gives Clarabella the chance to reach into her pockets and pull out a soul, which she shoves into her mouth and swallows, using a burst of blue energy to knock Zion off of her. Clarabella then drops to the ground, coughing and clutching her throat.

"Clarabella, are you okay?!" Grim cries as he rushes over to his wife.

"Yeah…" Clarabella answers as she stands up to face Zion and Nash. "Now… let's protect our family!"

***

"Oh no…oh no…" Lucine panics as she passes back and forth. "I can't fight…I can't fight…what do I do! If the Reapers come here, I'm screwed! But I don't want to let Chief Soul down!"

"Lucine…" Rosalind then calls to her sister.

"Yeah?" Lucine asks as she turns to face her older sister.

"I need you…to do me a favor," Rosalind weakly says, the effects of childbirth still having a toll on her body.

"What's up?" Lucine asks as she hustles over to her sister.

"Clarabella needs your help, I can feel it," Rosalind explains. "Call it…a big sister's intuition."

"Huh?" Lucine asks. "What do you need me to do?"

"Go to Clarabella," Rosalind orders. "Ezra…needs your help."

"R-right…" Lucine replies. But then, Lucine hears a small laugh, and peers over at little baby Zach, who smiles at her. "Ugh," Lucine gags. "I hate kids." And then, as Rosalind falls asleep, Lucine snatches Zach from her arms and walks over to a nearby crate, and places him inside.

Zach looks up at Lucine in confusion and makes a "goo" noise.

"This will keep you safe," Lucine says, and then, she closes the top.

***

"YOU DARE BETRAY US, GRIM?!" Zion roars as he draws his weapon -a spear with a hooked- jagged scythe blade at the end, and swings it towards Grim and Clarabella, sending a ranged, crescent-moon shaped projectile flying towards them.

Swiftly, Grim raises his scythe high into the air and begins twirling it, its blade glowing purple as he does As for Clarabella, she chambers her right fist, as it begins glowing blue with Soul Energy.

"GRIM REAPER'S HUNT!"

"SOUL FLASH!"

With a roar, Grim swings his scythe downwards as Clarabella launches her fist forwards, and the two attacks blast straight through Zion's own attack.

"Clarabella! Grim!" A voice cries, and the married couple turns and peers over their shoulders to where they heard the voice, where they see Lucine step over the knocked-down door to enter their home.

"Lucine?!" Clarabella cries. "What are you doing here, it's dangerous!"

"Well it's dangerous back at home, too!" Lucine replies. "The Reapers have come, they're slaughtering us all!"

"Wh-why are you here?!" Grim cries.

"Rosalind tol dme to come!" Lucine answers. "She told me to help Ezra!"

"Perfect timing!" Grim replies. "Ezra, go with Auntie Lucine.

 "Y-yes, daddy," Ezra stammers, and Lucine reluctantly reaches a hand down to Ezra who takes it, and she leads the toddler away from the unfolding action.

"Oh no you don't!" Zion shouts as he swings his spear towards Lucine, firing off another projectile of Soul Energy.

Quickly, Lucine scoops Ezra up and places the toddler behind her shoulders. "Soul Displacement!" Lucine shouts as she claps her hands together, and instantly, her and Zion switch places. Zion's eyes widen as he's forced to tank his own attack. "Sorry!" Lucine smirks as she scrambles out of the house, Ezra still on her shoulders. "With my Soul Displacement, I'm not much of a fighter!"

"Now then-" Grim says as he turns to face Zion and Nash. "Now I can fight without having to worry about anything!"

***

After throwing his messenger bag on, Soul exits his wooden cabin, where he finds himself standing face to face with a Reaper.

"And who may you be…?" Soul growls.

"My name is Rhys Reaper," the Reaper answers as he draws a long chain ending in a jagged scythe blade. "And I am second in line to becoming the Head Reapers in case anything happens to Zion," Rhys continues. "After me, is Nash, and then after him, is Grim."

"I see…" Soul replies as he reaches into his messenger bag and pulls out a soul, which he shoves into his mouth and swallows. "WELL I'M THE HEAD OF MY CLAN, SO YOU, SECOND PLACE, STAND NO CHANCE AGAINST ME!"

Soul sticks one of his arms out at one o'clock and the other at seven o'clock. "The cultivation of all my souls…" he begins to say to himself as he waves his arms through the air in a circle before cupping them to his right hip. Soul then thrusts his hands outwards, keeping his fingers apart as he touches his palms together, firing off a powerful beam of Soul Energy.

"SOUL CANNON!"

***

"I'll take Zion, you take Nash!" Grim orders as he draws his scythe and charges Zion Reaper.

"Right!" Clarabella replies as she engages in combat with Nash.

"You think that you can defeat me?!" Zion roars as he swings his sickle-spear towards Grim. "I am the Head Reaper! You are merely fourth to its throne!"

"I'll never let you hurt my family!" Grim roars back as he swings his scythe towards Zion, and the two blades collide in a burst of Soul Energy, sending Grim and Zion sliding back away from one another.

Zion then raises his sickle-spear above his head and begins twirling it around in a circle, as its blade begins to glow purple. "Kage Reaper's Whirlwind!" Zion shouts as purple Soul Energy begins to spin around Zion like a hurricane. The hurricane then begins to extend outwards, growing larger and larger as it slashes up everything around it, the walls, the furniture, everything.

"Grim Reaper's Hunt!" Grim shouts as he swings his scythe towards Zion, firing off a crescent-moon shaped projectile of Soul Energy towards Zion, which is powerless against Zion's tornado of Soul Energy.

"Grim Reaper's Hunt!" Grim shouts as he grabs his scythe with both hands and charges as its blade begins to glow purple. Grim then leaps into the air and raises his scythe above his head, flying over Zion's hurricane.. Grim then swings his scythe down towards Zion, the eye of the storm, with a roar.

In return, Zion allows his hurricane to dissipate as he looks up to face Grim. "Amir Reaper's Shredder!" Zion shouts as he jabs his spear towards Grim, firing off an arrow-blade of Soul Energy towards Grim. Grim's scythe clashes with Zion's projectile, and the two attacks counter each other out.

But before the fight between Grim and Zion can continue, Grim hears a voice shout: "GRIM!"

"Clarabella!" Grim cries as his head snaps towards his wife, and when he does, his eyes widen, for Grim sees…

Nash's dagger pierces Clarabella's stomach, who doubles over, blood spilling from her stomach and mouth.

"Grim…" Clarabella weakly croaks as her eyes flutter over to Grim. Nash then rips his dagger out of Clarabella's stomach, who limply falls to the ground.

"CLARABELLAAAA!"

Grim rushes over to his wife and kneels down next to her, taking her hand 

"Grim, I…" Clarabella begins to say, but Grim cuts her off

"Shh, save your strength!" Grim cries. "We need to get you to a hospital!"

There's...no time…" Clarabella wheezes. "I was…stabbed in the lung…"

 "Don't say that, don't say that!" Grim cries as he scoops his wife up. "You'll be better soon, so just...hang on!"

"Grim'...' Clarabella weakly says.

"What, what is it?!" Grim cries.

Clarabella slowly reaches a weak hand up and strokes her husband's cheek. "I love you, Grim…" she says. "And tell Ezra...that I love him too. And tell Lucine and Rosalind and everyone else that I love them too. Make sure to raise Ezra to become a great man. And make sure that he and his cousin Zach become good friends. Oh, and tell Lucine to settle down, she doesn-"

But before Clarabella can finish, her hand limply flops to the ground as her eyes flutter closed.

Clarabella…has died…

"Clarabella…?" Grim weakly asks.

She doesn't reply.

"Clarabella?" Grim asks, louder this time.

No answer.

"Clarabella!" Grim cries as she grabs her wife's shoulders and begins shaking her. "CLARABELLA! CLARABELLA!"

"Should…I remind him that we're here…?" Nash whispers to Zion.

"No," Zion smirks. "Let him grieve."

"What…did you just do…?" Grim growls as he slowly places his wife's body on the ground.

No reply.

"Oh, are you talking to me?" Nash asks as he perks up.

"What did you do…" Grim growls again, more savage this time.

"Oh, si you are talking to me!" Nash exclaims.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Grim roars as he stands up to face Nash and Zion.

"I KILLED YOUR WIFE!" Nash cackles. "THAT HARVESTER WHORE!"

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Grim roars as a burst of purple Soul Energy explodes from his body, sending Zion and Nash flying backwards.

"Woah, he's strong!" Nash cries.

"Don't worry," Zion replies. "He's still only fourth in line."

Grim raises his scythe high in the air above his head as its blade begins to glow purple. "GRIM REAPER'S HUNT!" Grim shouts as he swings his scythe into the ground, sending shockwaves of purple Soul Energy flying everywhere, and decimating Grim's house to ruin, and sending Zion and Nash stumbling backwards again.

"Should…worry now?" Nash asks as he struggles against Grim's attack.

"N-no…" Zion grunts. "Hold strong."

Grim brings his right knee high into the air, before stomping it forwards, kicking up a cloud of dust and forming a crater in the ground. Grim then clutches the end of his scythe tightly with both of his hands, as its large blade begins glowing with purple with Soul Energy, before expanding outwards, taking the form of a giant scythe blade. And then…Grim swings his scythe towards Zion and Nash with all his might, sending a huge crescent-moon shaped projectile of purple Soul Energy flying them.

"GRIM REAPER'S HUNT MEGA!"

Grim's attack flies towards Zion and Nash, in order to block, they bring their respective weapon blades up, which begin to glow with purple Soul Energy.

Grim's attack blasts into Zion and Nash, in the largest explosion of Soul Energy that any of the three Reapers have ever seen.

"Just…hold…strong…!" Zion grunts.

"I…can't…!" Nash cries.

And then, Grim's attack slices through the blades of Zion and Nash's weapons.

"He broke…a Grim Reaper's scythe?!" Zion cries.

"No one should have the strength to do that!" Nash cries as well.

And then, Grim's attack blasts into Zion and Nash, wrapping them up in the explosion of Soul Energy. By the time that Grim's attack lets up, Zion and Nash are lying on the ground, defeated.

And dead.

Grim then rushes over to Zion and drops to the ground on his knees and punches him in the face. Blood spews from Zion's flattened face. Grim then punches Zion again, and then again and again, plumbing Zion until his face is flattened against the floor and beaten unrecognizable. Grim then draws his scythe and begins slashing away at Zion, carving his scythe blade into Zion until his body is chopped to pieces.

By the time that Grim is done, he's soaked in blood.

Grim pants as he stares down at Zion's disfigured body.

And then, he finally speaks.

"I won't reap your soul," Grim says. "No afterlife for you."

Grim then kneels down next to his late wife and kisses her forehead. "I love you, Clarabella," Grim says as he scoops Clarabella up in his arms and walks out of the house. Grim then carries Clarabella towards the East Woods, where the Harvesters' village lies.

***

"Alright, we're here, Erza," Lucine pants once she's standing in the outskirts of the Harvesters' Village. Lucine then looks around, observing the carnage. Many of the wooden buildings and structures of the village have been brought to ruin, others are turned over, and some are even on fire, slowly burning to the ground. Dead bodies and blood litter the area, bodies of Reapers and Harvesters alike.

"Wh-what…?" Ezra softly asks.

"E-Ezra!" Lucine exclaims as she lifts the toddler off of her shoulders and covers his eyes with her hands. "N-nothing to see here!" Lucine nervously laughs. Lucine's eyes widen. "Rosalind! Soul! Zach!" Lucine cries as she sets Ezra on the ground. "Stay here!" Lucine orders, before taking off towards the center of town.

Little, young Ezra looks around, observing the carnage. "Mommy…daddy…" Ezra whimpers, tears streaming out of his eyes. "Auntie…Uncle…why is all of this happening…?" Ezra slowly wanders through town, where he spots the body of one of his Harvester village mates, who has a scythe blade piercing his chest.

"The Reapers…" little Ezra says, his voice trembling as tears continue streaming out of his eyes. But then, Ezra wipes his eyes. The tears have stopped flowing. "The Reapers…" Ezra says.

"I'll destroy them all."

"Mommy…daddy…Uncle Soul…aunties…I'll avenge you."

***

Lucine continues rushing through the Harvester's village, passing by dozens of dead bodies as she runs. Eventually, Lucine makes it to the center of town, where the largest wooden cabin lies, the home of the Chief of the Spyridon Clan, Soul.

But there, laying in front of the cabin…is a body.

"Shit, Soul!" Lucine cries as she rushes over to the body and falls to the ground next to him. Next to Soul, is the body of a Reaper he killed. "Soul…Soul…" Lucine whimpers as she touches her hands to his chest. Lucine then lifts her hands, finding them soaked in blood.

Lucine's eyes then widen. "Rosalind!" Lucine cries as she scrambles to her feet and busts through the front door of the cabin, where she finds the body of Rosalind, still lying in bed, but with a giant, bloody stab wound in her chest. "No…no…" Lucine sobs as she drops to her knees next to Rosalind's bed and takes her hands. "Rosalind…" Lucine whimpers, and tears begin streaming down her cheeks.

"I wonder…if Zach's alright…?" Lucine asks, not an ounce of emotion left in her voice. Lucine then slowly struts over to the crate where she placed Zach inside and opens it, finding a sobbing Zach curled up inside.

"Zach…" Lucine sobs as she scoops the baby into her arms. Upon seeing her, Zach looks up at Lucine and smiles and laughs, causing Lucine to begin sobbing again. Carrying the baby with her, Lucine then exits the village, where she finds Ezra no longer where she left him.

"Damn…they got Ezra too…" Lucine whimpers.

Lucine then spots a figure walking over to her, and sees Grim carrying the body of Clarabella.

"No…not Clarabella too…" Lucine sobs.

"Where is Ezra?" Grim apathetically asks as he stops before Lucine.

"H-he's gone…" Lucine sobs as she buries her face in her hands and drops to her knees.

Grim stares down at Lucine for a moment, before looking up again. "I see…" he coldly replies, before walking away. As Grim walks through the village, he looks around. Not a single Harvester is left alive, and not a single Reaper remains. They all had evacuated the moment that they thought they had murdered all the Harvesters. Grim looks around, observing the torn up, bloodied, and battered bodies of the Harvesters that he had come to know as his family, the ones he has loved. And they were taken from him, by his own clan.

Grim continues walking through the bloody remains of the village, until he stops before the cabin where Soul and Rosalind lived, and the cabin where Clarabella grew up.

Grim grabs a shovel. He digs a grave for Clarabella and places her gently inside, before burying it and marking it with a wooden cross that he fashioned from two planks of wood.

"Goodbye…my love…"

Grim then digs a few more graves next to Clarabella's, and places Rosalind and Soul inside, then adds a cross for Ezra, as well.

Grim then goes around the entire village, digging graves for every resident in the village and placing them within, then covering them up and planting a cross for each grave.

Because every last one of them was dead.

***

Days later, after Grim had moved into the Purgatory Castle in Nestant Town, he gets a knock on the door.

"Why have you come here…?" Grim gloomily asks as he opens the door, finding Lucine standing there. In her arms, is Zach bundled in a blanket. Hanging out of Grim's lips is a cigar, and he's clutching a whiskey bottle in one hand. He reeks of alcohol, and looks and smells like he hasn't showered or eaten in days.

"I have come to give you this," Lucine coldly answers as she holds Zach up to Grim, who giggles at the Reaper. Grim sadly looks down at Zach then back up to Lucine.

"Why?" Grim asks. "He's your nephew."

"He's yours too," Lucine answers. "And I hate kids."

"He's closer related to you than me," Grim replies.

"Just hold him," Lucine orders as she thrusts Zach into his hands.

Grim sighs, and holds Zach up to his face, who looks at Grim, and laughs. Tears then begin forming at the edge of Grim's eyes. And then Grim begins sobbing, and buries little Zach's face into his chest, and begins sobbing as well. He sobs and he sobs and he sobs, tears streaming down his face, and dripping onto Zach and the ground beneath him.

After a few moments of sobbing, Grim lifts Zach out of his chest and swaddles the baby.

"Why do you live in Purgatory now?" Lucine asks, once Grim has finished crying.

"Rhys was next in line to become Head Reaper in case anything happened to Zion, but Soul killed him," Grim explains. "Nash was next, but I killed him. And I was fourth, so now, the responsibility of serving as the Head Reaper falls to me."

"They don't find anything weird about electing the Reaper who killed the previous Head Reaper and whose wife and son was just killed by the Reapers weird?" Lucine asks.

"Rules are rules," Grim answers. "And besides, that's sort of how things are done around here, the strong devour the weak. Even if I wasn't high on the list to become Head Reaper, killing the current Head Reaper promotes me to the new Head Reaper. If Zion was weak, then he doesnt deserve to be the Head Reaper."

"What will you do now?" Lucien asks.

"I'm going to raise Zach as if he was my son," Grim explains. "And I'll never tell him about him being adopted, a Harvester, his parents, or the genocide of his family. Or even about you. If I raise Zach to become the new Head Reaper, then I'm sure that he can create a much better clan than any of the other Reapers can."

"I understand," Lucine replies.

"What about you?" Grim asks. "Are you sure you're okay leaving Zach with me?"

"Yeah," Lucine answers. "I hate kids, remember?"

"What will you do now?" Grim asks.

"I'm going to leave and go train," Lucine answers as she looks up to the sky and sighs. "I'm weak. I couldn't even help anyone fight, and that's why they died. I need to learn how to use my Soul Displacement in combat. I couldn't even save your son…"

"It's alright, Lucine," Grim replies. "We've both lost everything that day."

"Not you," Lucine says as she motions to Zach. "You have a son, now."

"Right…" Grim replies with a sad smile as he peers down at Zach, who looks up and laughs at his new adopted father.

"Are you sure that the Reapers won't try to kill Zach when they find out about him?" Lucine asks.

"Why would they?" Grim asks. "Zach is a Reaper."

"What do you mean?" Lucine asks.

"Zach is the son that I birthed with my second wife, who unfortunately died during childbirth. He's a pure blooded Reaper, Zach Reaper, son of Grim Reaper, and next in line to become the Reaper," Grim explains. "Reapers usually stay out of each other's affairs, so Zach will never meet another Reaper, and never have to learn about his tragic past. He will…never come to learn the truth."

Grim then holds a hand out to Lucine.

"Thank you for everything, Lucine," he says.

"Thank you, Grim," Lucine replies as she takes Grim's hand and shakes. "Farewell…Grim. And Zach." And without, Lucine turns around and begins walking away.

 "Goodbye…Lucine…" Grim says as he watches his sister-in-law walk away.