Summary:
“The Last Days of Xerxes”, covers the background of the land of Xerxes and its fall.The chapter begins with a flashback to 400 years ago when the land of Xerxes was at its peak. It was a prosperous kingdom due to its advanced alchemical knowledge and ability to transmute gold. However, King Xerxes became greedy and ordered his alchemists to create the Philosopher’s Stone, which would grant him immortality and unlimited power.The alchemists used thousands of Xerxian citizens as human sacrifices to create the stone. This act caused a great deal of suffering and as a result the souls of the people merged to form a huge being known as “God” or “Truth”. God granted the king’s wish for immortality, but at the cost of turning the entire population of Xerxes to dust.The only survivors of the tragedy were the Homunculi, artificially created beings tasked with carrying out the king’s orders. Homunculi gained eternal life and were used as pawns in the game of power played by various factions in the following centuries.The chapter ends with Roy Mustang and his team discovering the truth about the origins of the Homunculi and their connection to the land of Xerxes. The revelation leaves them shocked, raising questions about the nature of alchemy and the true purpose of their mission.