"So, they've been transferred to Central." In Eastern Amestris, Daniel, who initially came to find Mustang, immediately set out for Central City upon hearing this news.
"Hughes is still alive. It seems his fate has changed." Upon arriving in Central, Daniel didn't immediately seek out Mustang and Hughes. Instead, he first observed from the shadows.
Hughes' fate had indeed changed, but the arrangements he had made at the Fifth Laboratory were wasted. Previously, he had installed several cameras in the Fifth Laboratory to observe covertly, but now the laboratory had disappeared.
"It seems you've been doing well recently." Returning home and feeling relaxed, Mustang let out a deep sigh. Suddenly hearing a voice in the room, he quickly grabbed his flame alchemy gloves from the nearby coat rack.
Home used to be the place where Mustang felt most at ease, but the current situation forced him to place flame alchemy gloves in several spots around his house as a precaution against unexpected events.
"It's you." Upon seeing that it was Daniel in the room, Mustang's tense body immediately relaxed. However, he didn't put the flame alchemy gloves back in their original place.
"Haven't heard from you in a while." Mustang sat opposite Daniel and asked.
"I went to Xing. How are things now?" Daniel asked about the current situation, wanting to see how far the Dwarf in the Flask's plan had progressed.
"We've been discovered." Mustang quickly recounted the events that had transpired during Daniel's absence.
Having discovered the homunculi's conspiracy, Mustang and Hughes had immediately begun to act. With continuous investigation, they uncovered more and more information.
However, the homunculi were not fools. Although they looked down on humans, they were powerful. Mustang and Hughes' actions were eventually noticed.
Hughes had survived thanks to a deal Mustang made with the homunculi president. Compared to the other homunculi, the president was undoubtedly smarter. He used the people around Mustang and the Fullmetal brothers to threaten him.
The brothers pursuing the Philosopher's Stone had eventually discovered its dark secret. With Winry and others being threatened, they had no choice but to comply.
To ensure Mustang stayed compliant, all his subordinates were transferred to different commands. Hawkeye, his close aide, was assigned as an aide to the president.
Under these circumstances, Mustang had no choice but to appear helpless and obedient in Central City. This was the arrogance of the homunculi.
If Daniel were in charge, he would not have allowed Mustang such freedom, even if he was needed as a human pillar. He would have at least imprisoned him.
The homunculi had no such considerations, allowing Mustang and the Elric brothers to move freely. After discovering the truth about the Philosopher's Stone, the brothers vowed not to use it to restore their bodies and continued seeking alternative methods.
While the homunculi were lenient with Mustang and the Elric brothers, they were relentless towards others. Scar was constantly hunted, and to deal with him, they even released the Crimson Alchemist Kimblee from prison.
The homunculi numbered only seven. The president couldn't move freely, Pride had to maintain his facade as a child, and his powers were best utilized in Central City, limiting his movements. Sloth was digging tunnels, leaving only Gluttony, Envy, and Greed free to act. With additional threats like Isaac the Ice Alchemist, they had no choice but to release Kimblee.
Due to Daniel's intervention, Isaac had not died at the hands of the president. It seemed that Mustang had contacted him, and they might be collaborating.
In combat, none of the homunculi, except the president, could defeat Scar one-on-one. Even Greed, with his ultimate shield, couldn't withstand him. If not for their immortality, the homunculi might have been killed long ago.
Lust had died, killed by Mustang and Scar working together. Mustang, having learned the truth about the Ishvalan conflict, managed to communicate with Scar during an attack, convincing him to join forces by proving his words with Lust as evidence.
The homunculi's arrogance, refusing to lie to humans or conceal their weaknesses, led to Lust's downfall.
Since Mustang had cleverly orchestrated this and pinned the blame on Scar, the homunculi didn't suspect his involvement in Lust's death.
Ishvalan monks had exceptional physical and combat abilities. During the Ishvalan conflict, if not for the state alchemists, military casualties would have been much higher.
Though Lust had the ultimate spear as her title, her speed was only slightly better than an average person. In the world of Fullmetal Alchemist, alchemists had powerful offensive abilities but only average physical strength.
With Lust dead, Gluttony, Envy, and Greed were busy pursuing Scar and Isaac. Central City now only had the so-called Father, the president, and Pride.
Hawkeye discovered Pride's traces and conveyed this through codes to Mustang.
While Daniel had informed Mustang about the homunculi, he hadn't revealed their entire identities. Knowing too much would be suspicious.
With Gluttony, Envy, and Greed, along with Kimblee, away from Central, this was part of Hughes' plan—a strategic diversion.
During this time, Mustang also connected with several key figures: Lieutenant General Grumman of the Eastern Command and Major General Olivia Mira Armstrong of the Northern Command.
Mustang sharing all this information with Daniel suggested he trusted Daniel as an ally, given that Isaac was also saved by him.
"So, Lust is dead. What a pity." Hearing about Lust's death, Daniel felt it was unfortunate. He had returned to deal with the homunculi.
Homunculi contained a significant amount of Philosopher's Stones. Capturing a few could yield stones equivalent to the lives of hundreds or even thousands.
"I investigated some things in Xing, related to the energy sources of alkahestry and alchemy." Daniel explained his findings.
Amestrian alchemy used tectonic energy, similar to Xing's dragon veins and atmospheric flow. The problem was that the Father could block the tectonic energy using the underground pipes filled with Philosopher's Stones, thereby preventing alchemists from using their power.
This was part of the Father's plan to target Amestrian alchemists. Without energy, alchemy was just a pattern, and alchemists were just ordinary people.
Without Scar's brother's reverse transmutation circle, even if the Father's plan failed, Edward and the others couldn't have defeated him without alchemy.
Hohenheim had scattered most of the Philosopher's Stone energy within him across the country's land.
"I already know about this. People from Xing and Scar are here." Mustang had some knowledge of these things.
Though Mustang hadn't met the Father yet, the Elric brothers and Scar had. They knew Edward had moments where he couldn't use alchemy. Combined with Scar's brother's words about Amestrian alchemy having problems, Mustang was already addressing these issues.
"I'll head to the Northern Command."
"So cold. It's not even winter." Daniel left Central and quickly arrived in North City. Initially, the weather was normal, but as he approached the Briggs Mountains, the temperature dropped sharply.
The Northern Command was bustling. The Elric brothers were there, as were Scar and his companions. The homunculi and Central Command had also sent people.
The tragedy in Reole had occurred, making the Briggs Fortress the final battleground.
Scar and his allies came seeking a book left by his brother. Though Scar couldn't read it, he knew it was his brother's life's work and very important. Thus, he hid it near the Briggs Fortress while targeting state alchemists.
Due to the harsh environment, outsiders rarely stayed long in the fortress, the only place without state alchemists. Even regular alchemists seldom came due to the extreme cold.
This highlighted the strength of a certain housewife who wore slippers. Despite the cold, she survived outside the fortress for a month, fighting northern bears and stealing supplies without being caught, becoming a legend in the fortress.
The Elric brothers' survival and teachings owed much to this housewife.
"The battle has begun." Flying in the air, Daniel observed the siege below as Drachma launched a major assault on the fortress.
The Briggs soldiers were exceptionally united, which posed no real challenge to the homunculi. They only needed enough lives for the sacrifice, regardless of nationality.
The removal of Major General Armstrong made the Drachma king think it was the perfect time to attack the fortress and invade Amestris. Spurred by certain individuals, Drachma mobilized a large force.
For Drachma's military leaders, especially the high-ranking ones, the glory of conquering the impregnable Briggs Fortress was too great to pass up, even at the cost of many lives.
For the Briggs soldiers, knowing this was the homunculi's plot, they could only continue to fight, to protect the fortress, their country, and themselves.
"So this is Sloth." In the lowest level of the fortress, Daniel found a burly figure sleeping by the underground tunnel. He raised his right hand.
"Room." With the power of the Ope Ope no Mi activated, Sloth didn't react. In a flash, Sloth was divided into eight pieces.
The seven deadly sins' Sloth was the most diligent worker, digging tunnels for centuries. From the connected tunnels, it seemed the starting point was under the Briggs Fortress.
This indicated that the country's land area had been predetermined. After achieving the goal, Amestris stopped expanding, even withdrawing after winning wars to give enemies time to rebuild before waging war again.
Among the seven homunculi, Sloth had the second-best defense after Greed and the fastest speed. His physical strength and speed made him difficult to handle. In the original story, even with Edward's master couple and the Armstrong siblings' help, Sloth was a
tough opponent.
But for Daniel, Sloth was no match against the power of the Ope Ope no Mi.
"Kimblee should be here too. His explosive alchemy is quite interesting." Daniel was curious about Kimblee's alchemy. He had forgotten about him when Kimblee was in prison; otherwise, he would have sought him out earlier.
"The Philosopher's Stone is indeed powerful, but it's too soft-hearted." After storing Sloth in a shrunken box with Pym Particles, Daniel searched from the air for the homunculi or Scar and his allies using binoculars.
Capturing the homunculi, finding Kimblee to examine his transmutation circles, and finding Scar to study his brother's notes were Daniel's three goals.
Soon, Daniel found one of them: Kimblee. At that moment, Alphonse was fighting him. Normally, Alphonse wouldn't stand a chance, but he had a Philosopher's Stone.
Kimblee also had one, so their alchemical battle was evenly matched. Though the Elric brothers vowed not to use the Philosopher's Stone to restore their bodies, they would use it to protect others.
Reluctantly, Alphonse used the Philosopher's Stone.
"So Kimblee's transmutation circle is like this. The so-called explosion just triggers energy." Seeing the transmutation circles on Kimblee's palms, Daniel immediately understood how his alchemy worked.
Though the principles of alchemy and transmutation circles were similar, the specific patterns varied greatly, reflecting different knowledge bases.
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Kimblee's transmutation array is drawn on the palms of his hands. It features a circle on the outside with an equilateral triangle inside. The orientation of the triangles on each hand is opposite, one pointing up and the other pointing down.
Inside these triangles are symbols representing the sun and the moon. When his hands come together, the two triangles form a hexagram. In Amestrian alchemy, the hexagram represents the elemental composition of the world. By combining the sun and moon symbols, an explosive alchemy can be triggered.
In Amestrian alchemy, every symbol has a special meaning: the sun, the moon, the earth, air, dragons, lions, four-legged lizards, etc.
Mustang's flame alchemy, for example, includes the symbol of a salamander, which represents the fire element among the four elements of wind, fire, earth, and water. Therefore, you would never see a salamander symbol in water or ice transmutation arrays.
In contrast, the corresponding alchemy from Xing uses a simpler transmutation array primarily based on a pentagram. This pentagram represents the five elements of gold, wood, water, fire, and earth, the fundamental forces that make up the world. This array can be used for attack, healing, and defense.
However, because it encompasses the basic elements, its power is weaker compared to specialized elemental arrays, much like the difference between fire alchemy and flame alchemy.
The pentagram is also known as the five-pointed star.
"There's no need to interrogate him now." After understanding Kimblee's alchemy through his transmutation array, Daniel immediately abandoned the idea of capturing Kimblee for questioning.
For most people, even seeing Kimblee's transmutation array wouldn't help them use it. Mustang's array has never been particularly secretive, yet there hasn't been a second flame alchemist. The ability to perform alchemy involves both the array and the understanding of its principles.
If someone can't grasp the underlying principles, they can't perform alchemy. It's like the basic addition facts that even kindergarteners know, such as 1+1=2. Everyone knows it, but understanding why 1+1=2 and 2+1=3 is much more complex, akin to the Goldbach conjecture. The significance of the transmutation array is somewhat similar.
Since interrogation is unnecessary, Daniel prepared to act. Strictly speaking, Kimblee wasn't purely evil; he was a fanatic who respected anyone who adhered to their beliefs, whether those beliefs were good or bad. For example, he respected Winry's parents for continuing to treat Ishvalan war victims during the conflict, and he respected the Elric brothers for their resolve not to kill.
Although Kimblee didn't know the ultimate goal of the Homunculi's plan, he knew a lot about it. Most people believed the Homunculi's plan was to turn the entire country into a Philosopher's Stone. Kimblee was interested in seeing whether the Homunculi or humanity would emerge victorious, driven by the idea of survival of the fittest.
Kimblee assisted the Homunculi because he faced fewer restrictions and could kill freely. He enjoyed killing and would have bonded with any bomb fanatic.
A sociopath by Marvel's scientific standards, if Kimblee appeared in the Marvel universe, he would be a psychopathic serial killer.
Bang.
While pondering Kimblee's nature, Daniel shot him from behind, the bullet piercing Kimblee's heart, halting his transmutation. The sudden gunfire and the blood seeping from Kimblee's chest caused Alphonse to jump in shock as he prepared to defend against Kimblee's explosion alchemy.
An alchemist's body is ultimately that of an ordinary human. In this world, only the Homunculi's bodies are immune to bullets; everyone else is vulnerable.
After Kimblee fell, Daniel immediately approached, swiftly separating Kimblee's hands and taking his Philosopher's Stone. Kimblee was tough, surviving the shot and still trying to use the stone for a final, self-destructive attack.
If Kimblee had been a medical alchemist or understood medical alchemy, he wouldn't have died, but he lacked such knowledge.
The Philosopher's Stone is immensely powerful but is merely a universal energy source. To utilize it effectively, one must understand the basics of alchemy.
"Did you kill him?" Alphonse approached, his armored movements betraying his anxiety despite his expressionless face.
In the previous fight, Alphonse could have easily defeated Kimblee if he hadn't held back. The difference in their physical forms was significant; Alphonse's armor body wouldn't be harmed as long as his blood seal remained intact, while Kimblee was just flesh and blood.
"Are you Al? Where's your brother, the Fullmetal Alchemist? Right, Mustang sent me." Seeing Alphonse's distressed movements, Daniel shook his head helplessly.
Kindness is not a flaw, but indiscriminate kindness is. If Alphonse had a normal human body, he would have been killed, and Kimblee wouldn't have spared those he wanted to protect.
The Homunculi needed the brothers as human sacrifices; otherwise, their nature would have led to their deaths long ago.
"Colonel Mustang... My brother and I got separated." Alphonse briefly explained the situation: they were attacked by the Homunculi and Kimblee, leading to their separation during the battle.
"Which direction?" Hearing there were two Homunculi involved, Daniel asked immediately.
"We got separated over there," Alphonse pointed.
Daniel ran in the indicated direction. Once out of Alphonse's sight, he took out his flying broomstick and took to the air.
"Envy, Gluttony, Edward, and Scar." Alchemy battles create significant disturbances. From the air, Daniel quickly spotted the fighting quartet.
Gluttony had gone berserk, his huge belly opening to reveal a black, eerie eye that launched a devouring beam at Scar. It was less an attack and more an attempt to swallow everything in its path.
Gluttony's rage stemmed from Lust's death, who had been like a sister to him. In the original story, Gluttony sought revenge after Mustang killed Lust.
Gluttony's rampage affected both Edward and Envy, who were also fighting. Envy's strength had significantly improved, partly due to being humiliated by the Xingese prince Yao Lin.
Envy, who despised humans, had been forced to learn some human martial arts to seek revenge. Ironically, before he could, Yao Lin merged with Greed, becoming Envy's ally.
"Gluttony, you can't eat the shrimp! Stop before you repeat the last mistake!" Envy yelled at Gluttony, who ignored him and continued targeting Scar.
As Gluttony prepared another devouring beam, Daniel appeared behind him, slicing Gluttony in half with a sword, shocking Edward, Scar, and Envy.
With Gluttony bisected, his belly began to shrink, and the eerie black eye disappeared.
Daniel's sword, acquired in Xing, was more effective against Gluttony's form than firearms.
"Mustang sent me. Leave this to me; you go ahead," Daniel said, charging at Envy. With two quick sword strikes, he severed Envy's arm and leg.
"Don't worry, they're not my match. Go, I'll join you soon." To maintain appearances, Daniel had to handle the Homunculi carefully in front of Scar and Edward.
"Let's go," Scar said, urging Edward to leave despite his hesitation.
In the past, Scar would have insisted on killing Envy, but learning about the Homunculi's plans and his own guilt over killing Winry's parents had changed him.
"Finally, room." Once Scar and Edward left, Daniel used his surgical fruit power to quickly capture the two Homunculi.
"Greed is tricky to deal with since he's merged with Yao Lin. That leaves only Pride and Wrath. Wrath, huh..." With everything secured, Daniel pursued Scar and Edward's group.
"Have you discovered the secret of this country's alchemy?" Catching up with the group, Daniel quickly gained their trust by claiming to be sent by Mustang and taking credit for defeating the Homunculi. He was then shown Scar's brother's reverse transmutation array and his research notes.
"Only one book? What a pity," Daniel thought. Scar's brother had many research notes, but the sudden war only allowed him to save the most crucial one; the rest were likely destroyed.
Despite only having one book, it greatly deepened Daniel's understanding of alchemy and alkahemy. Meanwhile, Marcoh was tattooing Scar's other arm with the transmutation array.
Scar's brother was a genius, and even though Scar was initially just a warrior with no alchemy knowledge, he could use the array tattooed on his arm to perform alchemy.
One hand for deconstruction, the other for reconstruction. When Scar's brother grafted his own arm onto Scar, he only transferred the deconstruction array, as the reconstruction array was needed to attach the arm in the first place.
These arrays were incredibly powerful, but Scar's limited understanding of alchemy restricted their potential. However, the array on Scar's arm was a revelation for Edward and Marcoh, showing a new approach to alchemy by stopping at the deconstruction phase.
Alchemy's three stages are comprehension, deconstruction, and reconstruction. Before, no one considered stopping at the second stage, but Scar's arm opened a new possibility.
The fundamental rules of alchemy apply to deconstruction as well: you must understand what you're deconstructing, and you can only deconstruct one type of substance at a time. For example, they couldn't deconstruct Daniel's vibranium as they'd never encountered it.
Shortly After a while, Alphonse's group arrived. When they heard that Daniel had killed Kimblee, Edward's expression shifted slightly, but the others showed no reaction.
Everyone present was an adult, their thoughts more complex than the Elric brothers'. Even the younger Mei Chang, being a princess, had encountered more of these matters than the brothers.
Soon, the group split into two teams. Scar led Yoki and the defecting chimeras to contact the scattered Ishvalans to set up the reverse transmutation array. The array spanned the entire country, and the Ishvalans were the fastest to mobilize and the most trustworthy in this situation.
Daniel, Edward, and the others headed to Central to join Mustang and discuss the upcoming plan.
The plan, long in preparation, involved using Eastern and Northern forces' maneuvers to draw President Bradley and high-ranking officers away. Then, Mustang and his allies would attack Central Command to seize power, before confronting the so-called "Father."
Daniel had no objections to the plan and volunteered to deal with Pride.
They swiftly moved towards Central. The journey was fraught with dangers, but they managed to overcome them with their combined strength and the assistance of various allies.
Upon arriving at Central, they reunited with Mustang's group, finalizing their strategy. The team would split again, with one group focusing on seizing Central Command and another confronting "Father" in his lair beneath the city.
During the chaotic battles, Daniel confronted Pride, the most sinister of the Homunculi. Pride, possessing an overwhelming and oppressive presence, engaged Daniel in a fierce fight.
"Well, well, if it isn't the helper," Pride sneered, his shadows writhing menacingly around him.
"Pride, your reign ends here," Daniel responded, his eyes focused and determined.
The battle was intense, with Pride using his shadow abilities to launch relentless attacks. However, Daniel's surgical fruit abilities and combat skills enabled him to hold his ground. The fight dragged on, both sides taking and dealing heavy blows.
Meanwhile, the rest of the team was engaged in their own battles. Mustang's group clashed with Central's defenses, while Edward, Alphonse, and their allies descended into the underground lair to face "Father."
"Father" revealed his true form and intentions, aiming to use the entire nation as a giant transmutation circle to become a god-like being. The revelations and the ensuing battle tested everyone's limits, pushing them to their breaking points.
As Daniel fought Pride, he sensed the urgency of the situation below. With a final, decisive move, he managed to overcome Pride, using his surgical abilities to dismember the Homunculus and contain him.
"Pride is down," Daniel reported through his communicator. "Heading to support the others."
He swiftly moved to the underground lair, joining the fray against "Father." The combined efforts of the team, their unwavering resolve, and their deep bonds ultimately led to a climactic confrontation.
In the end, Edward made a significant sacrifice, giving up his alchemy to restore Alphonse's body. The Elric brothers' journey came full circle, their struggles and sacrifices paying off as they emerged victorious.
The country began to heal, with Mustang's new leadership steering it towards a brighter future. Daniel, having played his part, watched as the nation started rebuilding from the ruins of its past, knowing that the fight for a better world was never truly over.
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