Episode 16: Armstrong escorts the Elric brothers back to Resembool to have themselves repaired. Lust attacks Marcoh in his "safe house" and coerces him into revealing the location of his research on the philosopher's stone. Lust and Gluttony then kill him as they make their way to the state library. On the train to Resembool, Ed and Armstrong discover that Al was unloaded at the previous station and are forced to search for him. When Armstrong urges patience, Ed explodes in rage and abandons Armstrong. However, Ed is soon jumped by a girl who steals his automail leg. The girl's grandfather, while giving back Ed's leg, explains that he lost his leg during the Ishbal rebellion and that he wishes to retain his wound as a reminder of it. Meanwhile, Al is stolen by a boy who wishes to prove himself by raiding an enemy's mansion. Al frightens the boy by claiming he is a haunted armor. The Elrics reunite as Armstrong reappears, grabbing them and dashes toward the departing train, hoping to catch it.
Episode 17: The Elrics and Armstrong all return to Resembool, meeting up with Pinako, who agrees to repair Ed in three days time. While the Elrics recuperate, Armstrong assists Winry and Pinako in work. The Elrics later reminisce about their childhood while at their mother's tombstone. Al seems to worry about having fading memories, but Armstrong breaks the tension. A few days later, receiving his replacement arm and leg, Ed uses his alchemy to rebuild Al's armored body from the shattered remains. Afterwards, the brothers and Armstrong head back to Central to find Marcoh's research.
Episode 18: In the state library, Lust searches for Marcoh's research before encountering Scar, in which she reminds him of a previous acquaintance. He realizes that Lust and Gluttony are homunculi as the library is sent ablaze from their attack. The Elrics meet Sergeant Denny Brosh and 2nd Lt. Maria Ross, their new bodyguards, not long before their find the first branch of the state library burned to the ground. The Elrics go on a exhaustive search to find other sources for the book, leading them to Sheska, a file clerk who formerly worked at the library before being fired for reading all the time. Sheska reveals that she has memorized all of Marcoh's works, and then makes handwritten duplicates for the Elric brothers. The writing is written in a code created by Marcoh, though resembling that of a cookbook. The brothers attempt to decipher the hidden data for several days, only to discover that producing the philosopher's stone requires human lives.
Episode 19: Horrified by the key ingredient in making the philosopher's stone, the Elrics nearly give up their quest. However, Ross inspires them to continue. A hidden piece of information reveals an unused laboratory next to a prison where raw materials for the stone were gathered. Ignoring the orders of Brosh and Ross, they sneak out to investigate the laboratory themselves. Scar attacks the dormitories and gathers that the brothers have traveled to the fifth laboratory before pursuing them. Ed enters the building via an air duct, triggering several traps before finally meeting the security guard named Number 48. Outside, Al is ambushed by another security guard named Number 66.
Episode 20: The Elrics learn that the guards are souls bound to empty suits of armor. Ed struggles in his battle against Number 48, a serial killer known as Slicer, When his automail arm malfunctions, the result of Winry forgetting to add a small bolt. Ed is troubled to see that his opponent is a pair of brothers, where the younger one controls the body. Ed manages to defeat Slicer by use of Scar's destruction technique, yet he refuses to finish them off, due to seeing Al in the same manner. Al realizes that Number 66 is Barry the Chopper, who tries to suggest that Al never truly existed, saying he was a doll made for Ed. Contemplating on the possibility, Al recalls that Ed was afraid of telling him something.
Rating: 7/10 (Average)
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