In the big city at night, Scar faces the Silver Alchemist Giolio Comanche in battle. Scar avoids all the bladed weapons the Comanche transforms into, and when the Comanche attacks with a spinning sword to slash Scar at point-blank range, Scar is shot in his right leg while the Comanche’s leg is destroyed, causing him to fall into the water. below. Scar then quickly finishes him off. The next day, Scar returns to his hideout and learns from Yoki that there is a young girl named May Chang, whom Yoki found collapsed on the side of the road. Although Scar wishes her to leave, May notices the cut, but May heals it with Alkahestra, another type of alchemy from her homeland of the Xing, which is in the Far East. May also acknowledges that Scar’s tattoo has dragon pulse data, which is also related to Alkahestra, something Scar admits his brother researched both of these arts that were used for the tattoo. When Yoki makes it clear that he does not want May to accompany them to Central City, May’s pet Xiao-Mei bites his finger and May wants to go research the alchemical technique of immortality by finding the famous alchemist Edward Elric. .
That night at Central, Lt. Hawkeye is out with his dog Black Hayate and is attacked by Chopper Barry, but she easily deals with him with her gun, not even scared of his body being hollow because she also knows Al. Meeting with Colonel Mustang and Warrant Officer Falman in Warehouse 5, the three learn of the possible involvement of senior military personnel at Lab 5 and Lust and Envy, as well as the researchers who turned into Philosopher’s Stone ingredients after putting Barry’s soul into his relic . body. Mustang also asks if he was involved in Maes Hughes’ murder a month ago, though Barry’s comment about how he died confirms that he doesn’t know anything. The Elrics arrive in Rush Valley the next day for Winry to repair the damage to Ed’s automail caused by his recent fight against Greed. While she is disappointed that she has to do more repairs, Winry reveals that Paninya went straight to helping around town with carpentry work. With the necessary parts for the automail in the Garfiel Studio gone, Winry can only make a temporary repair on the arm until she can pick up more parts. While killing time, the Elrics find a mysterious person passed out in the street due to lack of food.
After treating him to a meal, the Elrics learn that he traveled eastward across the desert from Xingu, and the man claims to have visited the ruins at Xerxes before arriving in Amestris. The man reveals that his mission in Amestris is to conduct further research into alkahestra, which he notes is similar to alchemy. Ed reveals how alchemy is used in the military and the current political unrest which is attributed to having occurred after King Bradley came to power as Führer. After finding out who Ed and Al are, the man introduces himself as Ling Yao and that he is not actually an Alcahestrist, instead his true goal is to obtain the Philosopher’s Stone. Suspecting that the Elrics know something, Ling summons two people who are dressed in dark cloaks with masks covering their faces, one hooded and the other an old man. Ed asks what Ling’s goal is with the stone, which Ling reveals is the quest for immortality. Elric finds this ridiculous and separates to deal with the two characters individually. Ed transforms a staff to use against the hooded figure, but is overpowered by the person’s martial arts skills. Once Ed insults Ling, that person attacks recklessly, allowing Ed to intervene. After being knocked down in a counterattack, Ed realizes what happened earlier and decides to use it to his advantage.
Meanwhile, Paninya meets Al who is running away from the old man and the two come face to face with him. Ed is able to overpower his opponent by using another insult against Ling and shattering the man’s mask, only to discover that his opponent is a girl. The girl responds by throwing a Kunai Knife that undoes the makeshift repairs on Ed’s automail arm. As the girl sends a bomb at Ed, Paninya in Al’s place does the same via a hidden mechanism in her automail leg. Al uses the distraction to bind the old man with alchemy without the aid of the transmutation ring. Using his severed automatic hand as bait, Ed is able to use a hidden trap to capture the girl as well. When Al brings the old man to Ed’s place, Ling also arrives and is impressed by the boys’ skills. However, when angry townspeople arrive demanding compensation for damages and food bills, Ling dodges and pretends not to speak their language while the two characters escape. Al decides to repair the damage himself and acknowledges his new ability to transmute without the ring. When Ed returns to the Garfiel Studio, he is surprised to find Ling having tea with Winry’s boss, Mr. Garfiel. Ling reveals that the girl Lan Fan and the old man Fu are actually from a family that has served him for generations.
Elric finds it funny that Ling, who has been a freeloader until now, is actually the son of the Xing Emperor, causing Lan Fan to hurl a Kunai at Ed, who barely misses him for the insult. Ling reveals that his family is quite large due to daughters from each clan bearing the Emperor’s children, and that there is a very deep and hated rivalry over who is chosen to succeed the current Emperor. Ling reveals that the emperor’s health is failing and therefore he needs the stone in order to be chosen as his successor. When Winry returns and begins beating Ed after seeing his broken arm, Fu calls Ling to the roof to question why he, as a prince, bows down to a commoner like Ed. Ling admits that this is a small sacrifice to complete his goal, as the lives of his compatriots are at stake. That night, while making repairs, Winry decides to accompany the Elrics to Central to visit the Hughes family, allowing Garfiel to have some time off. However, Ed is enraged when Ling jumps out the window and announces that she will accompany them as well. Meanwhile, as they travel in the carriage with May, Yoki asks for Scar’s name, to which Scar replies that he gave it up because of the choice he made to let go of his past.