This is My Last War (Attack on Titan // LeviHan) - Part 3

The King of the Ring

Not this shit again. Damn him.

The clapping, stomping crowd roared and chanted itself into a mindless frenzy, their palpable bloodlust battling for dominance with the piss-sweat-beer fumes. Watching the two men on the slightly elevated stage circle each other, feint, strike, score, sweat and bleed in the artificial light was equal parts thrilling and chilling... and far more nerve-wracking than riding out the Gates at the start of a new Scout Expedition.

Levi will be grounded after this. For fucking life! Best lock him up in a prison, I never authorized such action!

The little shit was only wearing a white undershirt and brown pants that barely reached the knees, his wiry body and the oversized gloves on his hands accentuating just how tiny he was in comparison to the massive hulk of a man he was facing. Zoë clenched her teeth and balled her fists extra hard to prevent the smug-faced Rudi Bindella from realizing how anxious she was. Wherever you went in this world, the same rule applied: The ruthless are ruthless, so do not show any weakness.

"King, King, King of the Ring!" The crowd roared when Levi dodged an attack by diving underneath Donatella's massive arm. But what good did it do to be the spectators' favorite when you had your neck snapped? The normally strict rules in boxing did not apply in the illegal fighting pits. There was no referee. No bell. Fights ended when one or both opponents could no longer fight. Many were maimed for life. It was part of the allure.

There was a lesson in there somewhere. A lesson about humanity's depravity and unwillingness to live in peace.

Donatello Bindella had to weigh at least four times as much as Levi, which he quite skillfully used to his advantage. Zoë felt every sledge hammer hit that he rained down on Levi in her own gut. After twenty minutes that felt like a lifetime, the little shithead was bleeding from a cut above his eye, half of his face covered by drying blood, his initially pristine shirt dirtied. Bindella kept going for the head and the legs. To smash in the first and break the second - and he was repeatedly coming much too close to either for her taste.

Levi had flashed her a brief smirk before jumping up into the ring. Was that meant to reassure her? It didn't look like he was winning, quite the opposite. He was in exceedingly bad form tonight, his wound probably troubled him. Please let it be an act, please. But would someone as proud as Levi pretend he was losing? Well, his struggles did add to the entertainment of the crowd, that much was clear: The more he slowed down, the more he staggered, the more excited the bloodthirsty spectators got.

"Is this how you fight on that damned island of yours?" Bindella sneered, not taking his eyes off the scene in front of him.

"We adapt our styles to our opponents," Zoë shrugged nonchalantly, yet had her heart leap into her throat. Their cover story had them come from a small island - off the coast of Hizuru. They cannot know we are Eldians! He's just fishing for information. Surely he would have turned us over to the authorities otherwise...?

"He stands no chance against my brother," Bindella turned his face to look at her. His eyes burnt with unconcealed hatred. "Like you lot stand no chance against Marley."

Zoë decided to laugh. If Bindella knew what they were, he had to die - it was as simple as that. She carried a knife strapped to her leg - with him sitting this close, one swift movement was sufficient to slash the pretty brother's jugular. And if she joined Levi up in the ring, they'd give short shrift to the ugly one too.

But she also remembered what Levi had told her: The Bindellas were the ones most likely to know where Eren was. And finding Eren was... kind of urgent.

Well then, no slashing throats just yet. Zoë leaned back on her chair and exhaled slowly to regain control over her fast beating heart. This was not back then, when Levi had "died" in front of her. This was here, now. They were older, wiser, she knew Levi so much better. Levi had to have a plan, that's why he had smirked at her like he was enjoying himself, right? Yes, that was more likely than him losing a fight tonight of all days.