Bel gave Mammon a stab with his knife as a way of showing his displeasure to the Arcobaleno's supposed mission.
A mission? With the other Arcobaleno? Absolutely hilarious.
Was that a joke? Bel can care less about the mist Arcobaleno's mission. But saying that they have low chance of returning? Really?
He was part of Varia for goodness' sake! He was an Arcobaleno and he's going to partake the mission with the other Arcobaleno. They'll survive, they're not called the seven strongest babies for nothing.
Bel reasoned it out and gave him the trademark Chesire grin whenever the topic came up, it was a joke. It must be. If it's not a joke, then it must be a prank.
After all the greedy baby loves to prank everyone.
So when the little one left and muttered a sad 'goodbye' to Bel, something that the Arcobaleno has never done throughout all the years they were together, Bel felt something. But he shrugged it off.
This was a prank.
The greedy baby will return give or take a few days.
A week has passed since the Arcobaleno left for the mission.
It was boring. Terribly, terribly boring.
He killed more than usual and come back from missions bloodier than usual.
It was so boring without the greedy baby.
A month passed.
The others started on picking a candidate for the position of the mist officer. Bel could care less. He'll just shrug it all off and tell them on Mammon once the little brat came back. And he'll punish them. For thinking that he won't come back.
Two months had passed.
Bel is terribly bored. Even killing gets boring sometimes. He get no pleasure in seeing the fear of the ones he killed.
Where is Mammon?
The prince felt worried.
But then the grinned came back on as he remember.
The brat will come back.
He's strong, he won't die.
Half a year later has passed.
There was still no sign of Mammon.
Sometimes the prince even hallucinate that he was there, just right beside him. But when he tries to pinch the little one's cheeks, it fades.
And the prince understands that it was just an illusion.
Sometimes dread crept up on him, but Bel still grins. The brat can save himself, worst case scenario there was still Colonello.
He'll live.
He'll come back. And then Bel will pinch his cheeks so hard.
A year passed.
Bel rarely eats and communicates with anyone unless the boss tells him to.
Lussuria and Squalo told him that Mammon was dead.
What were they saying?
The brat will come back. He should come back.
The prince was waiting for him.
He couldn't… he just couldn't die.
A year and four months passed.
It was decided. Someone named Fran was going to take over Mammon's position. He couldn't take it.
The prince decided to hand a frog hat to the rookie. So that when Mammon returns, he can just come back and claim his position. And be partners with the prince again.
Yes, he would like that.
A year and five months has passed.
Maybe it was the time that passed by, maybe it was the constant times that Lussuria and Squalo insisted that Mammon was dead.
Maybe it was the fact that the rookie, Fran, had already started on his missions as the Varia's mist officer, maybe it was the fact that boss himself told Bel that the greedy brat was dead.
And somehow.
Bel was forced to face the reality.
A reality without Mammon. Without his puffy cheeks. Without his greed. Without his illusions.
A reality that the last thing that Mammon said was a sad goodbye.
Bel laughed. And laughed.
And somewhere along the way, a lone teardrop fell from his eyes.
Mammon is dead.