The frigid northern borderlands become a battlefield when Kimblee finally closes in on Scar. Deeper into the frozen wasteland, Ed and Al's fight is against the bitter elements as they struggle to reach Fort Briggs.
As Edward hears Hawkeye's tale of a time when idealistic young soldiers were tasked with genocide, the horrors of the Ishvalan battlefield are revealed.
Even as his subordinates are scattered, Mustang finds he still has allies - unfortunately, so do his enemies. The Homunculi unleash one of the Ishvalan War's most notorious killers to deal with Scar and Marcoh.
A secret encounter allows Mustang to spark new ambition in an old friend - an ally with loyal troops at his command. Meanwhile, Ed and Al share a chance meeting with their biggest fan - young Selim Bradley.
Visions of the past play out by a warming fire as Hohenheim reflects on the unavoidable follies of man: the pain that comes with a loving family; the hidden truths of alchemy; and the roots and results of war.
The Elrics come face to face with Father - and his face is familiar indeed. Powerless and amazed, Ed and Al can only watch as Father creates a new Homunculus with alchemy that should be impossible.
The Homunculi are winning. Ed and Ling face a horrific enemy within the hellish expanse of Gluttony's gut. In Central, Mustang can only watch as his loyal band of soldiers is divided by Bradley.
The Elrics are at Bradley's mercy; if the brothers make one wrong move, those dearest to them will pay. As Mustang quietly gathers allies at his side, Ed discovers there may be no need to find a Philosopher's Stone.
Truths are exposed when Al finds the one called Father, and Mustang hears the tale of Bradley's creation - but the most amazing revelation is reserved for Ed after he once again breaks alchemy's greatest taboo.
