Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Episode 62: A Fierce Counterattack

Father stands in the ruins of Central, his demeanor chillingly calm as he faces a squad of soldiers. With a simple gesture, a massive alchemical discharge incinerates them, leaving only ash. Van Hohenheim arrives, gasping, and defies Father, vowing to stop him from consuming more lives. Father looks on with detached eyes, unmoved by this human emotion, asserting his warped superiority.

Alphonse Elric, Izumi Curtis, and May Chang join Hohenheim on an alchemical platform, forming a united front. Father mocks humanity, calling them 'powerless fuel' for his ambitions, but Hohenheim counters this, reminding him of his own parasitic existence. In a horrifying display, Father's body warps, producing dozens of screaming, agonized faces and limbs from his skin. The allies recoil, witnessing the thousands of souls from Xerxes, now weaponized, reaching out in mindless torment.

Father gathers immense energy, unleashing a colossal pillar of red light that blasts through the building and into the sky. The force of it rattles the very city, sending shockwaves through the ground. Edward Elric, still struggling elsewhere, feels the immense shift in power, a distant tremor. From a high vantage point, Ling Yao (Greed), Scar, and Lan Fan watch the cataclysm, Greed recognizing this instability as their only chance to strike.

Inside a frantic Central Command, General Olivier Mira Armstrong receives reports of the building's obliteration, her resolve hardening. Alex Louis Armstrong stands by, battered but ready, as Olivier hands him a radio, urging him to win at any cost. Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye, both wounded, share a resolute look, Mustang signaling his readiness to use flame alchemy. This diverse group of soldiers and alchemists prepares for a coordinated assault, their determination unwavering despite the overwhelming odds.

Olivier Mira Armstrong finds a fallen comrade and learns the ultimate fate of Captain Buccaneer. She hears that Buccaneer managed to inflict a mortal wound on King Bradley before dying. A fleeting shadow of grief crosses her face, quickly replaced by steel-hard resolve. She pays tribute to her fallen officer, vowing to finish the job, honoring the Briggs men who fought to the last.

On the main battlefield, Alphonse uses his failing armor to shield May Chang from falling debris. His body is severely damaged, but he gently reassures a tearful May that they must press on. Nearby, Edward stirs from the rubble, his automail arm completely shattered. Hohenheim, bloody and torn, stands protectively over Ed and Izumi, having used his own body as a shield against Father's attacks, the physical toll on him evident.

Father unleashes snaking arcs of red energy, ensnaring Hohenheim, Ed, and Izumi, lifting them and choking them. Just as their resistance seems broken, Briggs soldiers appear on the balconies above, launching a barrage of gunfire at Father. He is forced to divert energy to defend himself, inadvertently loosening his hold on the alchemists. Seizing the opening, Roy Mustang, guided by Riza Hawkeye's precise targeting, unleashes devastating fire attacks, forcing Father to expend his precious souls.

Greed, in Ling Yao's body, charges Father from the flank, delivering a powerful, carbon-armored punch that cracks Father's barrier. He mocks his creator, declaring his own insatiable desire to steal even the power of a god. The full allied assault converges: Alex Armstrong pummels Father with reinforced punches, while Izumi and Edward transmute the environment into weapons. Father retaliates, shattering Ed's remaining automail, yet Ed defiantly kicks rubble into Father's face, refusing to yield.

Hohenheim observes a critical flaw in Father's defense: he is no longer using refined alchemy, but leaking raw, unstable power. The souls within Father are rebelling, causing his physical form to flicker and decay, with screaming faces erupting from his torso. Father screams in frustration as his control slips. He lashes out in desperation, pinning Edward against a wall with alchemical spikes, intent on consuming Ed's soul to replenish his own, sealing the boy's fate.

Alphonse calls out to May Chang, calmly explaining his plan to sacrifice his soul to restore Edward's arm. He reminds her of Ed's past sacrifice, asserting that this is the only way to give Ed the power to win. May sobs, horrified by the realization that Al will disappear, but he remains resolute, guiding her through the alkahestry. A massive burst of blue energy surrounds Al's armor, which begins to disintegrate as his soul is pulled toward the Gate of Truth. Alphonse's soul meets his original body at the Gate, finding a quiet peace as the ultimate equivalent exchange is made, leaving only dust behind in the physical world.

In the physical world, a brilliant flash of light restores Edward's original human arm where his automail once was. He stares in disbelief before his expression hardens into an incandescent rage. Ed claps his hands, his new arm surging with power, and unleashes a massive alchemical strike directly into Father's chest. He pummels Father relentlessly, each blow fueled by grief and determination, his strikes echoing like thunder. Father is driven back, his body crumbling into black dust as his Philosopher's Stones are finally exhausted, while the weary survivors watch the sun rise, signaling the end of the long war.