Eighty-six: Undying and Immortal

To encounter such an unexpected person in a place like this left Ed startled and suspicious. Especially since the other was the lieutenant to the Colonel, and yet was acting together with Scar—this fact forced the young Fullmetal Alchemist to consider the matter from several angles. Thus, his expression shifted from surprise and delight to deep contemplation.

“How are you here?!”

The question, in that instant, carried an undertone of accusation.

Yet the red-haired teenage lieutenant seemed unbothered by Ed’s suspicious tone.

“No wonder the Colonel always complains, ‘That Fullmetal brat is reckless and thoughtless.’”

It was as if he didn’t notice that Ed and Al were currently being pinned to the ground, utterly immobilized, by Envy, who had transformed into a giant green lizard. The fox spirit smirked, his demeanor and words exuding an effortless ease.

Ed’s temple throbbed with irritation.

But the teasing words, full of mockery, weren’t halted in the least by Ed’s glare:

“It seems that assessment is truly not unfair, Edward.”

“You came to such a dangerous place alone… If something happened, what would you do?”

He sighed, addressing Ed as if scolding a child who’d sneaked out, his tone full of resignation and tolerance.

The strand sticking up from Ed’s head stood so straight it could have turned into a steel blade.

“Damn it! Stop treating me like a child! That’s why I hate the Colonel the most!”

After his explosive shout, Ed realized how easily he’d been provoked by a few casual remarks. He glared at the red-haired newcomer in annoyance, and the worries in his heart receded somewhat after this outburst—

No matter what, this person was the Colonel’s chosen lieutenant.

He believed that Roy Mustang was not a man to trust someone with questionable motives lightly, nor would he casually bestow the same trust he granted to Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye.

So now, his task was not to investigate why this person appeared here with Scar, but rather…

“Well then, Captain Kurama, how about… teaming up for a fight?”

With a deep breath, the bristling demeanor vanished, replaced by a dazzling, spirited smile, radiant with resolve.

Yet the red-haired lieutenant’s next words instantly knocked him back to his original state…

“Team up? With you, Edward, who currently can’t use alchemy?”

The tuft on Ed’s head wilted, and he collapsed to the ground, powerless.

“Captain, really now…”

Could you stop picking up the Colonel’s bad habits and doing such infuriating things?

Watching Ed knocked down and defeated, Kurama chuckled quietly, satisfied to see the last trace of tension and rigidity fade from Ed. Only then did he speak again, unhurriedly:

“All right, joke time is over.”

“…Damn it, so you were just messing with me?!”

“Yes, pfft… Ahem! Edward, calm down! Listen to me.”

“I won’t listen, you’re just as twisted as the Colonel, you scheming villain!”

“Hey, hey…”

This was truly unjust! When it came to twisted humor, he could hardly compete with the Colonel.

The fox spirit protested inwardly.

But before he could say more, the little girl Mei, who had just been overjoyed to reunite with Xiao Mei, suddenly grabbed his sleeve.

“Brother Kurama.”

“Hmm? What is it, Mei?”

Kurama lowered his head, realizing then that something was off in Mei’s presence.

The next moment, Mei’s round, adorable face was filled with grief and indignation.

“That grain-sized man—is he really State Alchemist Edward Elric? I don’t believe it! I don’t!”

She had imagined him as a tall, handsome, gentle, learned blond prince! But what was with this short guy? What was going on?!

Her dream of a prince shattered in an instant, and as Ed roared, “Who are you calling a grain-sized man, you grain-sized girl!” Mei, in her fury, unleashed a massive stone fist with her alchemy. It sent Ed flying and, at the same time, allowed the Elric brothers to break free from Envy’s grip!

Kurama watched the chaotic scene, unable to decide whether to laugh or cry. He stepped back, swallowing the plan he’d wanted to explain.

Well.

It seemed the powerful momentum of the story was guiding events along their original course, leaving him no room to intervene.

Thinking this, the fox spirit simply retreated quietly, using no special abilities, but instead providing remote support to Scar with firearms like a true soldier, until the group fought their way back into the passage they had entered.

When they were cornered in a narrow underground corridor by chimeras and two homunculi, Kurama and Scar unleashed a small-scale explosion in the passage. Afterwards, he and Scar split from Alphonse, and together traversed the vast underground labyrinth, finding Dr. Marcoh imprisoned in a room by the homunculi.

In the room, Scar staged Marcoh’s death as vengeance for the Ishvalan massacre, then he and Kurama fled through the maze of dark passages, running for a long time before finally finding an exit to the surface.

But as soon as they were temporarily safe, Scar left Marcoh behind, turned fiercely toward Kurama—

“The Fullmetal Alchemist said you are the Colonel’s lieutenant.”

He spoke in a low voice.

“Is this ‘Colonel’ the State Alchemist, ‘Flame Alchemist’ Roy Mustang?”

Kurama met his furious gaze head-on, unflinching.

“That’s right.”

The white-haired, red-eyed Ishvalan pressed his lips tightly.

He knew about Mei’s connection with this young man.

At first, he suspected the boy approached Mei with ulterior motives—either to find Scar or to obtain her remote alchemy.

But as time passed, the boy showed no sign of acting on such intentions.

He truly seemed, as he’d said, to want to find a companion for his family’s white, round little pet, which had greatly lowered Scar’s guard.

Yet unexpectedly…

The boy was from the military.

And not just any soldier, but Roy Mustang’s lieutenant.

Roy Mustang!

The man who, in the Ishvalan War, slaughtered countless of Scar’s people.

Although Scar had heard the truth of the Ishvalan War from Fullmetal in the underground chamber, he would never forgive the Amestris military for the massacre that followed the war’s outbreak.

Among those “heroes of Ishval” he could not forgive, Roy Mustang was chief.

Now, Scar didn’t know how to face this young man—Mei’s friend, yet Mustang’s lieutenant.

Kurama observed Scar’s heavy expression and sighed quietly.

“I am indeed Colonel Mustang’s lieutenant.”

He stepped back, raising his hands to show he meant no harm.

“But I have no intention of harming you or Mei.”

“Meeting Mei was truly accidental. Though her trust led me to know you, I never planned to report you to my superiors or arrest you for merit…”

“Scar, something is wrong in this country.”

“I’m aware of it. So is the Colonel.”

“All we want now is to find the problem and solve it.”

“The rest… do you really think it matters so much?”

The fox spirit, his rhetorical skills at their peak, rattled off these “just righteous” words, and gradually Scar’s expression eased.

“…I can trust you for now.”

He finally replied.

“Because next… I’ll entrust Mei to you in Central City.”

“…Hmm?”

Kurama raised an eyebrow, surprised by Scar’s sudden serious tone, not understanding the meaning of “entrust.”

But soon, when Mei, assisted by the Elric brothers, returned to her and Scar’s former hideout, and Scar explained his plan, Kurama understood what “entrust” meant—

Scar planned for him and Mei to split up.

Scar would take a man named Yoki to distract the military, while under their cover, Kurama would take Mei and Dr. Marcoh north, seeking the alchemical research notes left by Scar’s brother.

That was the “entrustment.”

Having “escaped” Central Command, Kurama could not return to Roy’s side. For now, he had little to do, and since Mokona got along well with Mei, and Kurama liked the adorable girl, he agreed without much hesitation.

Preparations were made quickly, and the fox spirit led Mei and Dr. Marcoh onto a train bound for the country’s north.

***

Unlike the warmth of Central, the northern region of Amestris was shrouded in snow year-round.

The howling wind whipped across faces, bringing icy, dry air and a pain like a knife’s edge, hinting at the harsh spirit and survival laws of the region.

Every scene since leaving the train was covered in pure white snow, a unique beauty especially evident as the trio left the city and followed Scar’s map deep into the mountains. Mei, previously gloomy from Scar’s warning not to pursue the Philosopher’s Stone, now exclaimed in delight, her spirits lifted.

Taking this opportunity, Dr. Marcoh, who had already grown comfortable with Mei during their journey, finally gathered the courage to ask why she sought the Philosopher’s Stone.

“Because His Majesty the Emperor wishes to achieve immortality.”

Hugging her knees by the campfire, Mei spoke softly, eyes cast down.

Whoever discovers the method and presents it to the emperor—prince or princess—will become the next heir to the throne.

This way, she need not worry that her family will be wiped out by the new emperor, and she can protect those important to her.

Her eyes grew ever more determined as she spoke.

“That’s why I want to pursue immortality, to present the method to His Majesty!”

“Because then…”

Then, her precious clan would no longer fear extinction…

Warmth welled in her eyes, and her turbulent emotions calmed as a gentle voice whispered comfort in her ear.

Mei closed her eyes, listening as the gentle person consoled her.

He said…

“Mei, in this world… there is no such thing as immortality.”

—That’s right, in this world.