Let me show you the Briggs way!
- The Briggs way? - That's right.
Give me a hand, alchemist.
- Brother! - You too!
Just a minute! We can't...
You are forced to help us under threat.
You've got no problem with that, right?
- Who's this? - Our good buddy.
All right, help us out.
Hurry! Don't spill any!
- Buccaneer, Gate 8! - Yes, sir!
Charge! Drive it into the elevator!
What a bother...
Push! Push us!
All right, it's working!
- Rotate turret right! - Yes, ma'am.
- Miles! Send it! - Yes, sir!
All right, it's gone!
Where am I?
Now! Do it!
All right!
So? What next?
- How will you get him outside the gate? - Stinky.
Move it, little red runt!
- Hey! One more shot! - We're out of ammo!
In that case...
Ouch.
All right!
That's cold-weather climate blended fuel.
It vaporizes regardless of the extreme cold,
and its heat of evaporation saps body temperature in an instant.
Plus, we've got this blizzard.
That will freeze it instantly, right down to its brain.
So cold...
Body won't move...
What a both...
You can hibernate there until spring, you big lummox.
- Buccaneer, take those two away. - Yes, sir.
Just a minute!
Why? We helped you!
You were forced to help. That works better for you, doesn't it?
What's more,
I'm not letting you go until you explain to me what that monster is,
so bear that in mind.
It's cold.
"Clank"?
Good morning, Brother.
- Oh, yeah, right. - Yo, did you sleep well?
I slept anyhow.
I heard you helped defend my pals.
- Thank you. - That's 100 cens.
This isn't a thank you cup?
Any progress?
The advance party went to investigate the hole.
They should be coming back soon.
- Also, Major Miles is at the hospital. - Hospital?
He's visiting a soldier who was wounded, fighting with Scar.
Scar is in the north?
Oh, here they are.
They're awake. Thanks for yesterday.
You saved our pals' lives.
You guys sure keep your pledges, or at least care about each other.
We Briggs soldiers are monolithic.
You saved our pals, so you're our pal too.
Well, can you get your pal out of here soon?
No, that's something we can't do.
You're monolithic, all right.
I hear they didn't find Scar's body at the accident site.
There's the possibility that he's holed up somewhere nearby, though.
Yes.
Well, well, first the search for the black-and-white cat,
and right on cue, a search for Scar.
Understood.
You leave Scar to us, and focus on getting better.
Just a moment.
You people please stay out of this.
The Ishvalan is my quarry.
Unfortunately for you, the soldiers of Briggs are not so lax
that they'd let a serial killer roam around free.
The law up here is survival of the fittest.
If you get careless, you're dead. Got it?
You smart off to me again, and you'll never leave the hospital.
The Briggs branch will be looking after your case now.
Behave yourself.
Ishvalans sure are fascinating.
Kimblee, are you okay?
Well, you sure got here quickly, General Raven.
I heard the news, and came as quickly as I could.
I was worried about you.
It's these that you are worried about, right sir?
Very good. Now, to work.
But, as you can see, I'm...
I brought a doctor that can perform alchemy.
And we have the Stones.
You'll recover completely in no time.
Alkahestry is fairly difficult, huh?
I particularly don't understand this "dragon pulse" business.
It has to do with the "chi" of the land.
The chi of the land?
To put it simply, it's a power that spouts out of the mountaintops,
then enters the ground, and enriches it.
You might call it the rivers of power that flow through the land.
When you understand how that power flows, and where it enters and leaves...
It is a power that can be applied to all things.
By all things, you mean bodies too?
Yes.
- Say, your back! - Ouch, my leg!
Or here.
When you pressed on my neck, why was there a jolt to my eyes?
Mr. Marcoh, you should take care of yourself.
You've got power stagnating all over.
So that's it. This is the theory of remote transmutation, is it?
Alchemists don't use the dragon's pulse, do they?
No, we use the energy of the movement of the earth's crust.
There is a great deal of energy released in the ground
during seismic and volcanic activity.
The alchemy of this country uses that.
But that's not quite right.
Something has felt out of place ever since I entered this country.
It became clearer when I was under Central.
This energy flowing under my feet
doesn't feel like the energy of the earth's crust in motion...
But more like a lot of people squirming around.
It's huge.
A small platoon could make their way through this hole.
It also traces a gentle curve, and goes on for a long way.
However, there were no signs of anyone.
- Lower some horses down. - Yes, sir.
Also, bring them here.
Awesome. It really is huge, huh?
To think that we let an intruder get this far in without us noticing.
Have you ever let anyone else get in before?
Not since I took command here.
But nearly 20 years ago, there was an incident
where the mountain guard was attacked in the middle of winter.
Apparently, a mysterious woman stole food and equipment
repeatedly for an entire month.
I survived a whole month at Briggs Mountain in the dead of winter!
That was her.
This should be far enough.
Dismount.
Now then, you don't have to worry about prying eyes in here.
Tell me everything you know. And I mean everything this time.
Do not hold anything back.
When I asked you about that monster, you said something.
"You'll have to guess."
In other words, you believed that I would take the hint.
Under the circumstances, you were leaving yourself open
to being cut down by me, and yet that's what you said to me.
There's something you're risking your own life to protect.
Perhaps a hostage.
I don't want any lies, deception, or fakery.
Tell me the truth.
I need your help.
The Philosopher's Stone, Homunculi,
King Bradley, a man they call Father,
and the senior staff being dirty...
And there really are hostages involved.
Your childhood friend, the automail engineer, and Mustang's men.
We've done a lot of joint training with the Eastern Command Center,
so I know Hawkeye and Havoc.
I'd hate to lose them.
I'd like to do something.
What about Colonel Mustang?
Oh, couldn't care less.
I'd rather he did fall from power. I'd be relieved of another rival.
Never mind him.
What do we do now?
What do you alchemists make of this tunnel?
This tunnel probably wasn't dug here from Drachma.
This is just my hypothesis,
but it appears to have been dug out in an enormous circle.
Circle?
In alchemy, a circle is an important factor
that controls the circulation of power.
There's also the equation.
Lieutenant Falman...
Do you know the major events that happened in this country
that were accompanied by bloodshed?
Bloodshed?
Does that have anything to do with this?
July, 1588, the Riviere Incident.
Riviere...
October, 1661, the Cameron Uprising.
February, 1799, the Soapman Incident, which happened in Fisk.
March, 1811, the Wellesley Incident.
October, 1835, the First Southern Border War,
in what is currently South City.
Starting in March of 1911, the Second Southern Border War in Fotcett.
What about Pendleton in the west?
The fight with the neighboring country of Creta
has seen a lot of soldiers killed.
And, in 1914, the Liore insurrection. Many casualties.
Insurrection? But why?
After I exposed the fake priest in Liore,
I reported it to the Eastern Command Center right away, right?
It was the Central forces.
They came in, and sent the Eastern forces away.
After that, Liore went to pieces.
It can't be... Damn!
Back to work, Fullmetal.
All right.
And now, we connect all of these locations.
How can this be?
That looks just like the transmutation circle
that was in the basement of the Fifth Laboratory, doesn't it?
The Philosopher's Stone array that uses human lives, huh?
If they create a Philosopher's Stone with something this gigantic,
how many people are going to be sacrificed?
I once asked Envy if they were going to use this country
to create a Philosopher's Stone.
But then he laughed and said,
"So close, but you're on the right track."
Earlier, I told Edward,
"Knowing you, you'll be able to find the truth within the truth."
The "truth" being that the ingredients for a Philosopher's Stone were live humans,
the "truth within" being the existence of those who directed it to happen,
and the "truth within the truth"
being the Philosopher's Stone transmutation
that will use the entire nation's territory.
But that's not the end of it.
Ultimately, what is it that they are trying to do?
The same goes for the method of gaining immortality that you're after.
That is why you must not seek the Philosopher's Stone.
With my knowledge, and your knowledge of alkahestry,
we will figure out these research notes, no matter what.
Right!
The oldest one was in 1558.
Right after the founding of Amestris, huh?
They attacked the then-neighboring country of Riviere,
without even declaring war...
Hold on a minute.
That means the military is involved in all of these incidents.
They were coups d'etat, or civil wars, just like with Liore.
Central forces come in, and make the situation worse.
Since the founding of the country...
Our country started out as a small nation,
but it expanded as it took over other small countries around it.
In order to create this circle?
So they're not about to use this country to do something,
they created this country to do something?
My country...
Then, what about Mr. Hughes?
Yeah, he saw the Philosopher's Stone transmutation circle
before he was killed.
And since he was serving in the court-martial office,
he had all that he needed to look into the military incidents.
He realized something was wrong in this country right away.
Dog of the Military, State Alchemist!
Do you know what this country is trying to do?
Did you think you brought about the prosperity you now have
all under your own power?
If you knew, you'd understand what I am trying to do!
I don't like this.
As far as I can see, the next place to see blood...
The only place left is here, around Briggs, isn't it?
What are those guys in Central about to do to my citadel?
General!
Please return at once, sir.
Lt. General Raven from Central is here to see you.
They're not even going to give me a moment to consider this.
General Armstrong...
I'd like to ask you a favor.
Could you sneak some information out of General Raven?
General Raven, sir...
I'm terribly sorry to have to ask you to wait.
Nah, don't worry about it.
It's my fault for dropping in unannounced.
General Armstrong will return shortly.
- This way, please. - Oh, right.
I've brought a guest.
Major Miles, would you mind showing him around the fort?
It's a pleasure, Major Miles.
Winry's apple pie.
I said I wanted to eat it when I got my body back.
But even thinking about that much might be hopeless now.
You don't have to worry. You'll have your fill.
Once we get our bodies back,
and make the folks who are having their way with this country pay.
I'm terribly sorry things are so chaotic, sir.
- We were attacked by the enemy. - Attacked?
We somehow managed to fend it off,
but, well, it was what you might call a monster.
Monster? What do you mean?
We killed it, but it wouldn't die, sir.
You don't say.
I suspect it is a biological weapon from Drachma,
but the Elric brothers...
I happen to have the Fullmetal Alchemist and his brother in my care.
They had the air of someone who knew about this monster,
but they won't tell me anything.
Having a State Alchemist, under direct control of the Führer,
spying for Drachma would be a tremendous problem,
so I put them in one of my cells.
Would you like to question him?
Certainly.
- You say they won't tell you anything? - Yes, sir.
They told me their purpose in coming here
was to research living transmutation or something.
Nothing could be more weaselly or suspicious.
I thought I might get it out of them by torturing them,
but I am a woman.
Just thinking of making those children suffer pained my heart ever so.
The hell it did. Even the queen's heart is made of ice.
Even you, known as the impregnable "Northern Wall of Briggs,"
has a soft spot for children, huh?
Ordinarily, it wouldn't be surprising for me to have a child or two at my age,
but I'm well past that now.
What are you talking about?
- You must still be in great demand. - Oh, no, sir.
I sure wish I didn't have to grow older.
That Drachman biological weapon, now that had an outstanding body.
An immortal body.
It's like something from a dream, isn't it?
What if I told you that the day when it's not just a dream
isn't too far off?
Tell me, General...
Would you be interested in a legion of completely immortal soldiers?
He took the bait.