Scar shows Edward the graves of people from Reole who died due to the intervention of the State Army, which Scar knows Ed was partly to blame for. As Ed breaks down in grief, Scar also reveals that the people of Reole are ethnically similar to the Ishvalans, which the military had not considered, which is why he must complete the Philosopher’s Stone to end this tyranny.
At the military base, Martel’s corpse was removed from Al’s armored body by a Mustang unit. Lts. Havoc and Hawkeye question Major Armstrong about his knowledge of Chimeras, but he can’t say anything. Al admits that he has been harboring Martel undercover and that he has learned something that he cannot say at this time. Mustang believes that Armstrong is trying to root out the corruption that Hughes has been doing, but Armstrong denies this. Al remembers Martel telling him that the Führer plans to destroy Reole as he did to Ishval, and that he is a Homunculus (Pride). Additionally, Al saw the Führer’s Ouroboros tattoo when he was killing Martel.
Later, Scar orders the people of Reole not to resist the army, which plans to provoke them into making the first move to massacre Reole. Ed learns from the people guarding him that although Rosé is mute, she is a holy mother because she convinced the people to stand up and not follow Leto or the army. After Lyra releases the guards, Ed notices that she smells some strange new perfume on her. She ignores his comment and once Lyra learns that Ed won’t allow the army to be sacrificed, she has Lyra secretly send the boy with a letter to Al.
At the military base, Mustang pulls Al into the room where the letter is, learning that Scar has turned the city into a giant transmutation field, and they are asked to stay away from the city. Al correctly assumes that military soldiers will be used as victims. The Mustang unit is surprised to discover that this was probably the secret of Lab 5, where the higher-ups used human sacrifices to complete the stone. Al is sent to back Ed up and gets Ed’s pocket watch to return to him, unaware that Tucker has put some red stones in it.
Meanwhile, in Reola, Kimblee and Tucker’s new chimeras begin to attack. Upon learning this, Scar reveals to the resistance that this is a diversion and the main force will arrive later. Scar tells them to stick to the plan and he will face the diversion alone. Scar releases Ed from prison and wants him to help get the people out of there. Ed agrees, and after Scar leaves, Ed admits to Rosa and Lyra that his letter should delay things for a while and that they should flee somewhere safe from the army, admitting that they should blame him for destroying the town. When 7,000 troops arrive at the base, a happy Colonel Archer is disappointed that Bradley decided to postpone the attack because of Ed’s letter.
In a secret meeting with Lust and Gluttony, Pride admits that the reason is because of their master’s orders. Against Pride’s wishes, Lust decides to return to Reola to help Scar. As the people flee from Kimblee, Scar arrives and kills all the chimeras. Kimblee recognizes the scar as his handiwork and notices Scar’s new right arm as they begin the battle, along with Scar painfully absorbing the Red Stone that Kimblee had.
Meanwhile, as Ed and Lyra head through the underground tunnels, Lyra points out that if Scar fails, Reole’s people may scatter to the wind and reveal the truth about military tyranny. Ed knows it’s pointless because the military will cover up the truth by declaring that the city tried and failed to create the Philosopher’s Stone. Their group then finds themselves under attack by laziness and anger. Ed and Wrath fight and just before Wrath can kill Ed, Rosé’s baby cries. Wrath lunges at her, but Ed stops him and orders Rosa to flee. Ed then tells Wrath that Greed told him about the Homunculi’s weakness, but Wrath admits that he has no weaknesses because he was stillborn when he was sent to the Gate and no remains should be around.
Back above ground, as Al heads into town with the delivery boy, Al sees Scar and Kimblee fighting and sends the boy away. Their fight is even, and Scar admits that he will kill Kimblee to avenge what happened to his brother because of him. Kimblee admits that he fights for nothing but blowing people up and is caught in a transmutation ring created by Al. Al denies Kimblee’s claim that he is the state alchemist and counters that he is a murderer. Al demands that Scar stop his mad quest because there have been too many casualties.
Kimblee uses this distraction to break free of the stone hand Al created and pushes it forward to transform Scar’s left arm. To Kimblee’s surprise, Scar forcibly removes his arm, and despite being injured, Scar attacks as Kimblee flees and uses his destructive alchemy directly through Kimblee’s chest, mortally wounding him. An injured Kimblee, aware of the red stones in Ed’s pocket watch, throws them at Scar to restrain him so that in his final act, he can transform Al’s armored body to fulfill his vow against Al and turn him into a bomb.
Back in the sewers, Sloth shows up, and once she admits that Ed didn’t do her right, Ed realizes that Sloth really came from his and Al’s attempt at human transmutation. Rosé, who is beginning to regain her voice, hears Ed’s scream and turns back, and Ed is unable to move due to this revelation. Before Wrath can use Ed’s own transmuted spear to finish him off, Rosé’s baby cries and Rosé says that Ed should get up and move forward, just as Wrath prepares to kill her and her baby.