Summary:
Van Hohenheim rides with a few other people in a horse-drawn carriage and heads for the countryside. While admiring a family photo he took from Pinak’s house, a curious passenger questions him and explains that he has returned home after a long time away only to have a fight with his eldest son, but is convinced they will meet. again soon because they are both alchemists. Suddenly, the carriage is overtaken by a group of bandits who shoot the driver after setting off a warning flare. When one of the bandits opens the back of the carriage to find all the passengers cowering in terror, Hohenheim speaks in protest and is promptly shot. However, the bandits flee in terror when they discover that their bullets have no lasting effect on Hohenheim’s flesh. When the rescue team arrives to help, the injured driver explains that the bandits acted as if they saw some kind of monster, and when the passengers ask Hohenheim how he can be alive with bullet holes in his clothes and glasses, he answers gravely. that he is exactly what he is – a mons.In Central City, as Lan Fan falls to the roof of a shorter building – her left arm and shoulder bleeding – Wrath examines his now broken sword and applauds her for blunting his kunai strike. Gluttony moves to eat the injured girl with Wrath’s permission, but Ling angrily intervenes, quickly cutting the Homunculus on his way to aid his vassal. Wrath steps in to block their escape as Ling lifts Lan Fan over his shoulder, but the prince deftly deflects the Führer’s blows by circling around into the blind spot caused by Bradley’s blindfold. While praising the boy’s fighting prowess, Wrath summons a freshly regenerated Gluttony, which pummels Ling and Lan Fan from the window of a nearby abandoned building. The two Homunculi follow him, and now away from prying eyes, Wrath begins interrogating Ling, demanding to know his identity, intentions, and why he can tell Gluttony that he is not human. However, Ling watches a nearby exit and prepares to escape, much to Wrath’s disdain. The Führer casually mentions that Ling would have a better chance of making it if he left the girl to save himself, but Ling declines. Recognizing that the man he faces is King Bradley, Ling reprimands the Führer, declaring that the “true king” only exists for—and because of—the people who follow him, adding that Bradley will never be a “true king” like the wounded Lan . Fan ignites a flash grenade and throws it at the Homunculi’s feet. Although Wrath and Gluttony are blinded by the eruption of light, Ling closes his eyes and reads the flow of the wind and quickly makes his way to the exit. However, his path is suddenly blocked by a sword thrown by Wrath, who removes his eyepatch, revealing that his left eye marked with the Ouroboros can still see. Rising again, Wrath mocks Ling’s statement as naive, declaring that there is no such thing as a “true king” in the world.At the town’s cemetery, Winry visits the grave of Maes Hughes with Gracia and Elicia, noting that his departure during her absence reminds her of the last time she saw her parents before they left for the front lines of the Ishval Civil War. Winry explains that she saw some of her father’s determination in Hughes, as well as her mother’s strength in Gracia, and says that being with the Hugheses felt like she had her happy family back again. The three women leave the cemetery and head back through the town, but as they stroll, Winry overhears several townspeople commenting that the Elric brothers are currently embroiled in a fight against the infamous State Alchemist assassin, Scar. Alarmed, she excuses herself apologetically from the Hugheses and rushes off to find the boy.Meanwhile, Edward and Alphonse have their hands full with Scar as they desperately wait for the homunculus to appear. Their skirmish damages the area and injures several nearby military police, but the Elrics still see no sign of their quarry or any signal from Ling that the mission is complete. Alphonse, noticing that Ed is becoming exhausted, tries to buy some time by asking Scar how he can denounce alchemy as blasphemy and then use it himself as a tool for murder. Al condemns the man himself for murdering Shou and Nina Tucker in East City, but Scar responds by asking if the alchemy that the Elrics had strained as the ultimate truth could have returned the little girl to normal after turning her into an abomination. He explains that her death was a mercy killing after their cursed alchemy deprived her of life outside of a cage or military lab forever. Upon hearing this, the boys are overwhelmed with guilt over their failure to save Nina and their passive decision to leave her alone, despite knowing that she will spend the rest of her life as a test subject.Winry approaches the battlefield and notices the nearby terrain damaged by alchemy. Admitting that alchemists have made mistakes in the past, Edward responds to Scar’s claim by stating that not even all of an assassin’s actions can be justified. He demands to know why God’s agent would murder two doctors and reminds Ishvalan that he himself murdered the Rockbells after they saved his life. Unfortunately, Scar isn’t the only one shocked by Edward’s comment, as Winry – at that moment – arrives on the scene and overhears everything. Distraught, Winry collapses to the ground in grief and hysterics, demanding that Scar answer her; she hesitantly takes the fallen MP’s fallen weapon against Ed and Al’s vehement protests, and as she tearfully points it at the Scarred Man, she remembers her master’s words about the cycle of hatred.,