Episode 31: The 520 Cens Promise (2009 series)

The 520 Cens Promise
Series	Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Episode number	31
Japan airdate	November 8, 2009
U.S.A. airdate	November 12, 2009 (online stream) February 5, 2011
Run time	0:24:41
Language	Japanese/English
Subtitles	English
Navigation
Preceded by	The Ishvalan War of Extermination
Followed by	The Führer's Son

Even as his subordinates are scattered, Mustang finds he still has allies - unfortunately, so do his enemies. The Homunculi unleash one of the Ishvalan War's most notorious killers to deal with Scar and Marcoh.

Full Synopsis

Continuing from the previous episode, when Envy sees Tim Marcoh's dummy corpses and the word "VENGEANCE" on the wall, he angrily realizes that Scar knows about Marcoh's involvement in the Ishval Civil War. Meanwhile Ed leaves Riza Hawkeye's house and she promises to contact him if something comes up. Hawkeye also mentions that given her new posting, it would make it easier to kill Führer King Bradley. Ed also gives her a message for Roy Mustang that Scar is still active and thanks her for telling him about the Ishval conflict. Ed than meets with Al and tells him what he learned and Ed mentioning that Mustang is thinking about what happens after he becomes the Führer makes them think what they will do when they accomplish their own mission. Remembering that Scar and May Chang were the only ones to use Alchemy back when Father shut everyone else's down, Ed knows there is still hope for accomplishing their mission. At their hotel the next morning, Ed is dismayed to learn from Doctor Knox over the phone that May had left his house earlier without mentioning where she went to.

Deciding they have to search for her, the Elrics depart with Ed knowing that Xiao-Mei is the only clue he has. Meanwhile Heymans Breda gives Jean Havoc some dumbbells for his arms so he wouldn't grow soft before departing for West City. Kain Fuery gives Black Hayate some meat before he departs for South City, and encounters Vato Falman who is returning a chess board he burrowed for Colonel Mustang before he leaves for North City. Hawkeye goes to Mustang's office to pick up a few things she left and mentions Ed's message to watch out for Scar. Urging Mustang not to get himself killed, they say their goodbyes before Hawkeye departs. Taking out his chess pieces, Mustang can only think of his followers as a specific character of game, and then he realizes that his checkmate hasn't been taken yet. Ed and Al spend most of the day asking the people of Central if they have seen May or Xiao-Mei. By dawn, as they are relaxing, Mustang pulls up in his car and asks them to get in. Learning about May and her connection to Xingese Alkahestry, Mustang promises to ask around, though Ed is uneasy of being in debt to him. Reminding Ed of the 520 cens he borrowed which also causes Mustang to briefly lose control of their car due to Ed's shock that he remembered that, after talking it out, Ed decides to hang onto it for a little longer until Mustang becomes the Führer. Surprised by this, Ed tells Mustang that Hawkeye told him everything about Ishval.

Dropping the Elrics off at their hotel, Ed promises to hold onto it until Mustang accomplishes his dream and promises to borrow more, which is actually his way of saying that Mustang must live for a very long time. When the Elrics arrive in their hotel room they find they have an unexpected visitor - Ling Yao's other bodyguard Fu - who has just returned to Amestris after delivering Maria Ross to Xing. Fu admits that he got tired of waiting for them to show up. Mustang meets with Madame Christmas at her bar and after making small talk, gives her a sheet of paper. She immediately contacts Lt. General Grumman in East City, where upon learning that she's calling he knows that he is being called upon for something important. Meanwhile Fu has been brought to Dr. Knox's house and is up to speed on everything that happened since he left. He berates Lan Fan for getting injured, and not being able to protect Ling. Though he slaps her for this, and lectures her while Dr. Knox has to restrain him, he then breaks into tears over the grief of his precious granddaughter losing her left arm.

Later as they are talking, though Ed mentions his promise to take Lan Fan to Rockbell Automail and provide her with an Automail arm, Fu must respectfully decline. Considering the enemy has seen Lan Fan's face, they will instead find an automail mechanic on their own to avoid endangering anyone. Fu then takes off his headband, and bows to Dr. Knox for saving his granddaughter's life. Though he doesn't like this sort of praise, Lan Fan also thanks him, and the doctor states they should leave before they outstay their welcome. Once outside with the new clothes they accepted from Dr. Knox to use as a disguise, Fu delivers the bad news to Lan Fan that the Xing Emperor's health is continuing to decline and they have little time to get Ling back and complete their mission. As they depart, Greed/Ling is staring out into the night sky elsewhere. Meanwhile with all his house guests gone, Dr. Knox reflects on his horrific war experiences and the praise he got from his two recent patients. When someone comes to the door, it turns out to be his estranged wife and adult son. After mentioning that he still deals with corpses, he gets them excited by mentioning that he recently treated two live patients, and his son mentions that he wants to be a doctor knowing full well what his father went through in Ishval. Knox reluctantly invites them in for coffee, and while preparing it Knox tearfully praises God for this happy moment.

At Central Prison, Solf J. Kimblee sits in his cell with a Philosopher's Stone in hand, remembering that after he used it in Ishval, he killed several officers to hide the fact that he digested it. Kimblee learns he is being released from the prison and while being escorted out, one of the guards mentions the oddity of him being released after he should have been executed for killing five military officers in Ishval. Once outside Kimblee plays a practical joke by making the guard think he transmuted his watch into a bomb, when it was actually a toy. Hopping into a military car, Kimblee learns that Envy is the driver and the one that got him released. Envy gives Kimblee his orders to hunt down Dr. Marcoh who he suspects is still alive and is likely traveling with Scar. Kimblee becomes interested as Scar is an Ishvalan he should have killed, and after Envy reminds him that he must recapture Dr. Marcoh in addition to killing Scar. Kimblee is also happy to be permitted to destroy a town of his choosing as a warning. After removing the stone he has from his stomach, Envy gives Kimblee another Philosopher's Stone made from the lives of the researchers that worked under Marcoh in Laboratory 5 so he can have the power to successfully destroy a town.

Elsewhere, Scar tells Marcoh the reason why he won't kill him is that he wants to learn more about Kimblee. Scar also wants Marcoh's help in translating the research notes that his brother had left behind, and mentions that his brother once told him that Amestris' alchemy is strange. Yoki then reports that May Chang has returned to them. Learning from Scar who Marcoh is and what he has done, May demands for him to tell her how to make a Philosopher's Stone, but Scar tells her not to seek after it. Scar then uses his decomposition technique on Marcoh's face to disfigure it so he can't be easily recognized and leaves it to May to stop the bleeding. Scar decides their next destination is North to where he hid the research notes.

Episode Notes

• The Transmutation Circle which appears in the background of this episode's title card is the moon array tattooed on Solf J. Kimblee's left hand.

• The 2009 series shortens the conversation between Fu and the Elrics at Dr. Knox's house including not referencing Winry or Pinako directly and also removes the scene of Fu changing into the clothes he received from Dr. Knox before he leaves the house.

• Mustang places the white queen on e1, while the correct square would have been d1.

External Links

Watch the episode at FUNimation.com