Chapter 43: River of Mud

At the hotel, Winry, Alphonse, Ling Yao, and Lan Fan debate how the brothers can move forward when no one knows how long Al can remain bound to the armor. A careless remark from Ling offends Winry, who flees to her room with Al following, and she ends up begging him to reclaim his body. This gives way to a dream in which Edward stands before Truth beyond the portal, fighting to win his brother back. Waking, Edward glimpses his father Hohenheim leaving, then goes downstairs and asks Pinako to help him with a task, to which she agrees.

The two travel to the site of the old Elric home and dig around an aged tree until they uncover the body Pinako had buried the night the brothers failed to revive their mother. Edward pulls out a clump of hair and finds it black rather than Trisha's chestnut brown. After Pinako carefully studies the bones and remains, she concludes the body is not their mother at all, a verdict Edward finds enormously relieving. The realization eases the guilt he has carried over believing he brought Trisha back only to lose her again.

In town, Yoki finds May Chang and Shao May collapsed face down in the street, and when he tries to rummage through May's things, Shao May pounces to defend her. After Yoki shares some food, May pledges her life to him for saving her from starvation and reveals she is searching for Edward Elric, whom Yoki's servant may be able to locate. Along a dark stretch of coastline, meanwhile, Scar confronts a lone man who turns out to be the State Alchemist Giolio Comanche, the Silver Alchemist. The two duel to the death, and Scar emerges the victor, claiming his latest target.