;Summary:
With his automail arm destroyed by Scar’s attack, Edward collapses to the ground as the immobilized Alphonse, terrified for his brother’s safety, screams desperately from his spot on the sidewalk. Frozen in shock and despair, Edward asks Scar if Alphonse is also one of his assassination targets. Scar explains that while he will kill anyone who gets between him and his goals, Alphonse is not one of his priorities, so Edward offers his own life in exchange for Scar’s word that Al will escape unharmed. Scar agrees to Fullmetal’s terms and moves in for the kill, but Alphonse – vehemently against his brother’s resignation – pleads with Ed to escape. Fortunately, Scar is interrupted by the sudden appearance of Colonel Roy Mustang and his accompanying forces.Roy explains Scar’s identity and his involvement in the deaths of Shou and Nina Tucker to Edward, but Scar counters by declaring himself an agent of God’s Punishment. Encouraged by Scar’s words, Roy tries to take down the assassin with his powers, but is saved and reminded by Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye that his Flame Alchemy doesn’t work properly in the rain. While Scar is distracted by Roy’s actions and his own threats, Major Armstrong attacks from behind and formally introduces himself as the Strong Arm Alchemist. Armstrong and Scar engage in battle, and Major, observing and analyzing the alchemist assassin’s counterattacks, deduces that the mysterious assassin’s “power” is actually alchemy with the “reconstruction phase” omitted, leaving all matter transformed by him into the second phase – the “deconstruction phase”. When his opponent turns out to be much more annoying than first appeared, Scar changes his attack pattern in an attempt to take advantage of Armstrong’s wide swings, but when the Strong Alchemist suddenly withdraws from the fight, Scar realizes that the frequent opening was intentional – a decoy to distract him , while Mustang’s forces move into formation. With her target now clear, Lt. Hawkeye opens fire on Scar with his rifle; Scar manages to dodge her shot, but the bullet hits his face and knocks off his sunglasses, leaving his irises red. When Armstrong and Mustang saw this, they recognized Scar as Ishvalan. Not expecting so many enemies and unexpected twists, Scar cut his losses and deconstructed the street below him, escaping into the sewers. With the danger passed, Edward rushes to Alphonse’s side, only to be met with physical and verbal abuse from his furious little brother. Alphonse berates Ed for giving up on life and lectures him on the importance of survival for the future and their goals.Back at HQ, Mustang explains to the Elric brothers that the Ishval region to the east was the center of a civil war that began thirteen years ago when an American soldier accidentally shot an Ishvalan child. After seven years of fighting, state alchemists were sent to Ishval to end the war by eradicating all Ishvalans in the region. As one of the state alchemists involved in the extermination, Col. Mustang claims that there may be some justice in Scar’s murder, but Edward refutes this, saying that Scar is merely masquerading his own revenge as justice. When Roy vows to hunt down and dispose of Scar, Edward claims that his lost hand makes it impossible to repair Al’s armor while guaranteeing the integrity of his bound soul. Therefore, he states that his next step is to visit his auto mechanic.