The Shape of This Country

Armstrong presses the Elrics, Falman, and Buccaneer into her plan against Sloth. The tanks ram the homunculus into a service elevator that lifts him to an outer deck, where the group douses him in cold-climate tank fuel before Armstrong blasts him out the gate with a cannon shot. In the blizzard the specially volatile fuel strips his strength, and he collapses. Declaring the beast will simply hibernate if it cannot die, Armstrong jails the Elrics, insisting they must appear coerced and will stay locked up until they explain what the creature was.

Miles visits the hospitalized Kimblee to announce Briggs will take over the hunt for Scar, and warns him against arrogance in northern territory. After Miles leaves, General Raven arrives with the Gold-Toothed Doctor to restore Kimblee to health. At Scar's hut, May explains the Dragon's Pulse to Marcoh, the earth-flowing energy that powers alkahestry, and senses that Amestrian alchemy draws instead on something sinister, like people writhing underground.

Told the tunnel Sloth dug loops far beyond sight, Armstrong rides deep into it with the Elrics, Buccaneer, and Falman and demands the whole truth. The brothers lay out the Philosopher's Stone, the homunculi, Central Command's collusion with Father, and the hostages. Edward maps the tunnel as a vast circle ringing all of Amestris, then has Falman recite the nation's bloodiest incidents, from Riviere in 1558 to Reole. Connecting the points reveals a countrywide five-point transmutation circle, and Edward concludes the homunculi created Amestris itself solely to forge a Philosopher's Stone. Realizing the final bloodshed points at Briggs, their talk is cut short when Raven arrives unexpectedly, and Armstrong baits him into offering her a legion of immortal soldiers.

Briggs incapacitates Sloth with cold-climate tank fuel, forcing him into hibernation. Armstrong jails the Elrics to keep up appearances. Raven brings the Gold-Toothed Doctor to heal Kimblee. May teaches Marcoh about the Dragon's Pulse and senses a sinister power beneath Central. In the tunnel the Elrics reveal everything, and Edward exposes the nationwide transmutation circle formed by Amestris' historical massacres. He concludes the homunculi built the entire country to make a Philosopher's Stone, with Briggs as the intended final point. Armstrong lures Raven into offering immortal soldiers.

The episode adapts material from the manga chapters covering the snow queen and burgeoning borders. The title-card array is the circle used to create the Philosopher's Stone. Reole's name is printed as Liore on Falman's map. Ed's brief recollection of Isaac McDougal is anime-original. The dub misdates the Riviere incident to 1588 rather than 1558, a likely oversight since Edward later cites the correct year. Falman's expanded role in the corresponding chapters is trimmed here. By vouching for Falman as a close friend, Edward revives his career, and Falman is thereafter tied to Buccaneer, eventually assuming his command and later returning to the northern wall as captain.