Alchemy is the science of understanding, decomposing,
and reconstructing matter.
However, it is not an all-powerful art.
It is impossible to create something out of nothing.
If one wishes to obtain something, something of equal value must be paid.
This equivalent exchange is the basis of alchemy.
Alchemists have a taboo, and it is human transmutation.
It is that which no one must commit.
In order to gain knowledge about transmuting living things,
Ed and Al visit the home of Shou Tucker, the Sewing-Life Alchemist.
His daughter Nina and dog Alexander were also there.
In order for Tucker to pass his State Alchemist assessment,
he transmuted a Chimera using Nina and Alexander.
Nina could never be changed back.
Ed became stricken with grief at his own powerlessness.
Mom! Mom!
- What is it, Ed? - A present.
I transmuted it.
You did, Ed? You're your father's son, all right.
Thanks. You really are amazing, Ed,
to be able to create something as neat as this.
But...
You couldn't make Mommy right, could you?
Big Brother.
Let's play.
Are you all right, Brother? You were having a nightmare.
What's the matter, you two? What are you up so early for?
So...
What's going to become of Tucker and Nina?
Mr. Tucker was scheduled to be stripped of his certification and go to trial.
- But both of them are dead. - Dead?
You'll find this out eventually anyhow, so I'll just tell you now.
- They've been killed. - How?
- By who? - We don't know.
I was just headed over to the scene myself.
- We're coming too. - No.
Why not?
It's best you don't see this.
He's still one step ahead of us, huh?
We have to catch up quickly. The way things are going...
You sound as though you were expecting this to happen.
What's going on?
God has given us a trial.
Wicked heathens have been spreading false rumors to disrupt our faith
and the military is planning to oppress us.
But we must not give in!
Now is the time to rise up with weapon in hand!
In the name of the great god Leto!
Yeah! We have the god Leto on our side!
Down with the heathens!
Hey, don't be fooled! Those are just lies he's telling us!
Silence! You guys are pawns of the heathens!
Humans are so hopelessly foolish.
- Don't you think so, Gluttony? - Fools, fools.
Yeah, that's the truth.
- Well, well, if it isn't the Father. - Father.
Sorry to have to put you to all this trouble.
Once this is over, I'll be heading right back
to the city that I'm in charge of.
The Fullmetal boy interfered with our work here,
but we ended up making good use of it.
It looks like we'll finish ahead of schedule.
You manipulated a little information,
and I whipped up the believers, and that's all it took to get this.
Humans are such simpletons.
Bloodshed leads to more bloodshed,
hatred leads to more hatred, and all the energy that swells up
takes root in the land, carving out a crest of blood.
No matter how many times they repeat it, they never learn.
Humans are foolish, miserable creatures.
Which is why they play right into our hands, don't they?
- Are lots of people gonna die again? - Yes, they will.
- Can I eat all the ones who are dead? - No, you can't.
By the way, Envy, how long are you planning to look like that?
- It's grossing me out. - I'm just in the moment.
But as long as I'm going to transform anyway,
something young and cute would be better, huh?
A monster! What's going on here? The Father.
- Where has the real Father Cornello gone? - What do we do?
He called me a monster. That was rude, huh?
Can I eat him?
Come to think of it, I hear Shou Tucker in East City has been killed.
- Tucker? Who cares about that small fry? - But it was him who killed him.
Speaking of East City, isn't the Flame Colonel there?
Yeah, and apparently, the Fullmetal pipsqueak is staying there too.
Fullmetal?
I'm incensed that he interfered with our work,
but we can't very well let him die either.
He's an important sacrifice and all.
That was yummy.
All right. We'll deal with it somehow.
So, what was his name again?
Scar? The scarred man?
Yeah, we don't know anything about who he is,
so that's what we're calling him.
Our target is not only unidentified, but elusive.
The only information we have about him is the large scar on his forehead.
I've heard the stories about him. So that's who you're pursuing?
By order of the military police command center.
And here my work at the court-martial office is piling up too.
My head hurts.
He has killed five people in Central, all State Alchemists.
Nationwide, there have been ten who have fallen prey to him.
Five days ago, old man Grand was done in.
Brig. General Grand?
He's the top figure on weapon transmutation and hand-to-hand combat.
That just tells you how dangerous this guy is.
Increase your escort and lie low for a while. Nobody will blame you.
I'm also asking you to do this as a close friend.
The only ones of any note around here are you and Tucker, right?
Oh, no.
I've been thinking for a long time, what is the alchemy that we believe in?
"Alchemy is knowing the laws and flow that exists within matter,
its decomposition, and reconstruction.
The world also follows laws and has a flow, and everything circulates.
The death of people is a part of that flow. Accept the flow."
That's what Teacher would always say to us.
I thought I understood it. But I didn't understand.
That's why we transmuted Mom.
And now, I'm thinking again, isn't there something we can do
about something we can't do anything about?
I'm such an idiot. I haven't grown at all since then.
I thought the rain might wash away some of this gloom from me.
But right now, every drop hitting my face is depressing.
And since I don't have a body,
I can't even feel the rain hitting my skin.
That's something I miss. It pains me.
I really want to get my body back again soon and be human again.
Even if it means going against the flow of the world
and it's something we can't do anything about.
You are the Fullmetal Alchemist Edward Elric, right?
Brother!
What the hell?
Who is this guy? This is bad. This is bad.
I have to get away. This is bad. This is bad.
Al, run!
You're not getting away.
Brother!
Al, grab on!
Damn it, what's this about? Making enemies is something I've never...
really avoided, but...
there's no reason for anyone to try to kill me!
Who are you? Why are you coming after us?
If there are "creators" like you, then there must also be "destroyers".
You're saying we have to fight, then?
You're gutsy.
But still...
you're too slow.
Al!
- There's nothing inside? - You bastard!
Too slow.
Damn.
Automail?
I see, so that's why bodily destruction didn't injure you.
You are an unusual one.
- Brother, don't. You should run away. - You dumb ass!
How can I run away and leave you behind?
You press your hands together to make a ring
and then perform transmutation, is that it?
In that case...
I will start by destroying this abhorrent right arm of yours.
Brother!
Now you won't be able to use your alchemy.
I will give you a moment to pray to God.
Brother, run! Brother!
Unfortunately, I don't have any god I'd like to pray to.
Am I the only one you're after?
Are you planning to kill my brother Al too?
If he interferes, I will eliminate him.
However, Fullmetal Alchemist, you are the only one who is receiving judgment.
Oh, yeah?
Then promise me you won't harm my brother!
Brother.
I will keep that promise.
What are you talking about, Brother?
What are you doing? Run. Get up and run!
Stop. Stop. Stop! Why, you--!
That's far enough. You sure have been on a royal tear, Scar.
I'm taking you into custody for being the culprit
behind a string of State Alchemist killings.
Alchemists are those who change things
from their natural form into something grotesque.
That is to say, they profane God, the Creator of all things.
As an agent of God, I am he who hands down his judgment.
If you interfere, I will eliminate you as well.
This should be interesting.
- You guys stay out of this. - Colonel Mustang.
Mustang, the Flame Alchemist.
To think that you would voluntarily come forward to receive judgment,
what an auspicious day this is.
You know my name and would still challenge me to battle?
What a fool you are! What did you do that for all of a sudden?
Colonel, you're useless on rainy days so please stay back.
USELESS
Oh, right. He can't make sparks when it's this soggy, huh?
It is fortunate that you cannot create flames, State Alchemist.
For I will destroy all who interfere with my mission right here and now!
Just try it!
A newcomer?
To be able to avoid my blow is not bad. Not bad at all.
You said you would destroy us all, right? Then you can start by defeating me!
The Strong Arm Alchemist, Alex Louis Armstrong!
It's just one after the next. Could this be the guidance of God?
You won't back down, then?
To show my respect for your courage, allow me to demonstrate
the artistic alchemy that has been passed down
among the Armstrong family for generations!
- Who is he? - The criminal who murdered Mr. Tucker.
He's the one?
Easy, Major! Please don't go destroying the city so much!
What are you talking about?
Destruction and creation are two sides of the same coin!
Destroy to create! Such is the law of the universe!
- Why did he strip down? - His logic is crazy.
If you were an alchemist like me, you wouldn't think it so crazy.
Isn't that right, Scar?
- He's an alchemist too? - That's it.
The transmutation process of alchemy
are the three stages of "comprehension", "decomposition", and "reconstruction".
He just stops at the "decomposition" stage.
If he's an alchemist too, doesn't that mean
he's also turned his back on whatever the "ways of God" are?
What's more, why is he only going after those with state certification?
He carries himself unusually well for his size
and has superhuman destructive force.
Then there's his alchemy. He does pose trouble, to be sure.
I have you cornered!
But there's a moment where he takes too wide a swing!
There it is!
He's backing up?
- Did you get him? - He's too fast.
I just grazed him with one shot.
Brown skin and red eyes.
He's an Ishvalan?
- I'm surrounded. - Don't move. You can't slip out of--
- That bastard. He went into the sewers. - Don't go after him.
I'm not going after anyone that dangerous.
Sorry. And after you bought us enough time to surround him too.
No, far from buying time for you,
it was all I could do to keep from getting killed.
Oh, is it over?
Lt. Colonel Hughes, where have you been up to now?
- Back taking shelter. - You could back us up or something!
Lay off! Don't go dragging a normal person like me
into this freak show with you bunch of pseudo-humans!
Don't just stand around. We've got things to do!
Deploy troops throughout the city!
- Circulate his description! - Yes, sir.
Alphonse...
Alphonse!
Al, hey, are you all right?
So that's Elric's younger brother, is it?
Looks like there's a long story behind that, huh?
Al. Alphonse!
Why didn't you run away when I told you to? You stupid brother!
Well, I couldn't just run away and leave you here, Al.
Which is why you're stupid!
But why? If I had run away, you could have been killed, you know!
And maybe I wouldn't have been killed!
Intentionally choosing to die is something only someone stupid would do!
Hey, go easy on saying your older brother is stupid!
I'll say it as much as I like!
Live on, live on, and survive.
Once you do some more research into alchemy,
you could find a way to get our bodies back,
as well as a way to save kids like Nina.
I won't ever allow you to do anything
to abandon those possibilities and choose death.
And now my arm has come off, hasn't it? Brother, you stupid jerk!
We're falling apart, huh?
Saying we look terrible doesn't begin to cover it.
- But we're still alive. - We're still alive.
Good grief, this is an extra special freak show, huh?
- Sorry. - Okay, I won't tell anyone upstairs.
If this got out, it would cause all sorts of trouble, right?
Yeah, the older brother aside,
we couldn't explain away the younger brother's body.
I have to admit, though,
you've got a real tough customer coming after you.
The Ishvalan?
The Ishvalans were a race of people to the east
who believed that Ishvala is the one, absolute Creator.
Even after they were annexed into the country,
there were conflicts with a portion of them,
but 13 years ago, there was an incident
where a military officer accidentally shot an Ishvalan child dead,
and it developed into a civil war.
One uprising led to another,
and before long, the rebellion had spread to the whole eastern sector.
After seven years of back-and-forth,
the order that came down from the military command...
was to exterminate Ishval.
Many State Alchemists were brought in to act as human weapons.
The State Alchemists produced striking results.
Which is why that man,
an Ishvalan survivor, has justification in taking revenge.
That's nonsense.
There's no justification for dragging people
who had nothing to do with that into his revenge.
He's just dressing up his ugly lust for revenge
by calling himself an agent of God and acting all arrogant.
Still, the fact is, he's coming at us with fangs bared.
And we can't let ourselves be killed either.
The next time we meet, there'll be no more talk.
- We crush him. - Yes, sir.
Ed, Al, what are you going to do now?
We're going to start walking again.
We can't stand still, you know. Not as long as we're still alive.
Brother.
First thing we have to do to fix your body is to get my arm back to normal.
I'm the only one who knows
how to bond your soul to the armor after all.
Yep.
We've got little choice.
It's been a long time. Let's go back...
and pay a visit to our mechanic.