A few months passed and spring finally arrived. A train from Fort Briggs arrives at Resembool, where Major Miles requests that his men can borrow some of the town’s water. Two soldiers break away from the group and deliver a large water container – with Winry hidden inside – to the Rockbell house. However, when Winry goes upstairs to change, she is shocked to find Edward hiding there with Greed, Darius, and Heinkel. After a humorous pause that ends with Winry kicking everyone but him out of the room, Edward asks if Winry knows Alphonse’s location, and she informs him that Al is still aboard the train from Briggs bound for Central City. Ed reluctantly decides not to go because his new refugee status could cause trouble.
After fixing Edward’s arm, Winry informs him of her recent travels and explains that Van Hohenheim went to a slum outside of Central named Kanama and she urges Ed to go talk to him. She mentions the Promised Day and Edward explains to her that it is the best chance for him and Al to get their bodies back, as well as the disastrous climax to Homunculi’s plan, and solemnly advises her to flee the country with Den and Pinako. Furious at his words, she reproaches Ed for only telling his loved ones to run, to which he replies that he will do anything to stop the tragedy of the promised day, but he is not entirely sure that he will succeed. Winry won’t take such a poor answer and demands that Edward defeat the enemy and then return to Resembool with his and Alphonse’s body intact. That night, as Ed’s group leaves Rockbell Manor, Edward promises Winry to put an end to the enemy’s plot and asks her to bake him an apple pie for his return.
At Reola Zampano, Jerso and Yoki finish another long day of work on the reconstruction team and meet up with Scar and Dr. Marcoh, who had just returned from their travels and now decided to head to Central City together. Along the way, Zampano ponders the strangeness of working with Scar to save the land, but Scar corrects him, saying that he’s not acting to save Amestris, but to change it from within and make his people properly recognize the Ishvalans. Their group is met in the forest by a large group of Ishvalans, including Master Scar, and Scar explains that he and Marcoh have gathered quite a number of like-minded comrades on their long journey.
In the eastern region, Lt. General Grumman welcomes Miles and the northern troops, who have finally arrived for a long-awaited joint exercise with the eastern forces. Miles quietly informs the lieutenant general that everything is ready for their joint attack on Central Command, but Grumman mentions that there is a problem and gestures to a nearby watchtower, where Führer Bradley himself and his entourage have arrived to oversee the exercise. Miles expresses his surprise that the one who sent them to investigate was the Commander-in-Chief, but Grumman suggests that he has something up his sleeve to take care of this particular obstacle.
In Central City, Alphonse wakes up on a train, having just recovered from the latest series of unplanned exits from his body, to find that night has fallen while he was unconscious. When he hears a noise outside, he goes to investigate, only to be met by a newly revived Gluttony. Fearing that he won’t be able to fight while his soul is still so unstable, Al tries to flee, but is stopped by Pride, who binds the armored alchemist with her shadow tendrils. Al tries to fight, but the strain causes him to pass out again. As Pride reaches his dark appendages for Alphonse’s Bloodrune, he ominously whispers that the armorer will be content until the Promised Day arrives.
Colonel Mustang visits Major General Armstrong at the Armstrong family home. As she praises his greatness, Olivier informs Roy that if anything happens to her, she will leave the house to him instead of Alex. In gratitude and to congratulate her on becoming the new head of the Armstrong family, Roy offers her a bouquet of flowers with a secret message hidden inside regarding Selim Bradley’s true identity. After receiving the message, she demonstrates throwing the bouquet into a nearby bonfire to destroy the evidence.
Back east, one day before the Promised Day arrived, joint training began in earnest, with Bradley overseeing everything. Miles is informed by one of his men that Alphonse Elric has disappeared, and Bradley’s men are greeted by Major General Hakuro, who informs the Führer that he has discovered Grumman’s treasonous plot. Bradley replies that he already knows about the Lieutenant General’s plan to lead the Eastern forces in a coup d’état, but Hakuro explains that the joint training between the Northern and Eastern forces is only a decoy to lure the Führer and his security out. of the capital while Ishvalan terrorists, Grumman and Mustang wreak havoc to take control of Central Command. After hearing that his men have confirmed an increased presence of Ishvalan refugees in the area around Central City, Bradley decides to head back to the capital. On the way, however, his wagon is abandoned on a bridge and destroyed by explosives. A unit of Eastern Region soldiers hiding nearby radios Grumman that their assassination mission has been completed and that they are now heading to Central to support the Flame Alchemist. In Central, Hawkeye regroups with Breda and Fuery, both of whom have left their assigned posts in preparation for their role in the upcoming battle.
The generals at Central Command panic at news of the Führer’s demise, prompting Major General Armstrong to consider taking control herself, but she is forced to step down when Father appears with Sloth and reminds his pawns that he is still among them.