The five sacrifices each groaned as they slowly picked themselves off the ground. The eye on their stomachs were gone along with the sinister arms that previously restrained them.
The only reason they survived was because they were currently in the centre of the nationwide transmutation circle.
"Is everyone alright?" Myra asked the group. She noticed that although her breathing wasn't currently the best, it was better than it was a few moments ago.
"You have done well, my sacrifices." Father said from behind. Myra swivelled around to face him.
He was no longer in that abnormal form. Instead, he now looked a lot more like Hohenheim's doppelgänger.
Hohenheim's eyes widened in astonishment. "You mean you actually did it?!"
"Yes," Came his reply. "I have acquired God."
"Acquired God?!" Ed shouted bewildered. "That isn't possible!"
"It can be..." Hohenheim cut in.
"A Philosopher's Stone!" Myra gasped in realization. Hohenheim nodded.
"What?!"
"It can't be!" Al piped in.
"How many lives were sacrificed for this?" May asked, her voice dropping in utter shock.
"Amestris is a large country," Myra gritted her teeth. "At least fifty million people." She glared daggers at Father and May gasped.
Ed cursed and tried to use his alchemy against Father. But with a single tap of his finger, he was able to nullify Ed's alchemy.
Then, to show off his power, Father created a miniature version of the sun to fit in the palm of his hand. Everyone either gawked or narrowed their eyes at the intensity of his newfound powers.
Hohenheim began explaining his countermeasure before Father could annihilate them. He explained how he traveled the country for years, placing fragments of his own Philosopher's Stone into the Earth to use as a foundation for returning the Amestrian souls to their bodies.
Father's eyes widened as he felt a sudden pain. "So what? You have merely planted your points. They will not activate without a circle!"
"We do have one. One that would even self-activate. The moon's shadow: cast upon the world by the eclipse!"
A different aura suddenly surrounded the atmosphere and Father felt another surge of pain. Hohenheim's countermeasure was beginning.
"Even now you think you can stop me?!" He spewed.
Hohenheim stood firm. "That's the very reason why I came back! Remember your place, dwarf in the flask!"
Father grunted in pain. Clasping the minuscule sun in his hands until it disappeared.
Everyone stared in awe for a brief moment.
Father cried out in pain as millions of souls rushed out of his body in swirling motions. They went up to the sky before dispersing all over Amestris.
Father slouched in the aftermath of such immense pain.
"Did it...?" Ed began.
"It worked." Myra gawked.
"Yes." Hohenheim confirmed. "The people of Amestris have had their souls returned. And now I doubt that he can control that of which he calls God."
Father fought through the pain to try and stand up. Everyone had their guards up. "I can always... create another stone! I am not through!" He said, voice strained.
He created a large purple orb and shot it at Hohenheim. Fortunately, Hohenheim was swift and redirected the attack to the sky.
Father let out a battle cry as he unleashed a massive amount of power at the group. But before it could hurt anyone, a glowing circle appeared from under them.
"May!" Al said.
"The greater the power the other side has, the greater the power that I can use becomes!" May yelled over the loud noises to explain. She was crouched down, hands placed on the circle to keep it active.
A large amount of dark purple energy was launched at the group. Hohenheim held his hands out, trying to stop the energy in its spot, but Father wouldn't give up.
"I don't have what it takes to fight his energy!" Hohenheim said.
"Please try your best, I can't hold on much longer!" May cried.
"It's no use!" Hohenheim struggled against Father's power. That is, until he felt three pair of hands on his back.
"C'mon Dad, hang on!" Al urged.
"Can't you even do this?!" Ed shouted. "Just stay focused!"
"You can't give up, Dad! We won't let you!" Myra used as much strength as she could muster to help her family.
Hohenheim looked at his kids in awe before turning back to face Father and smirking, "I can only do so much. I'm just an old man, but I'll give it everything these old bones can do!"
It was in that moment that he sensed Scar's transmutation. "It's coming!" He tells them.
Ed, Al and Myra slam their hands to the ground, shooting harpoons from the ground at Pride and Father, making him stop his attack.
Scar's brother had created a way to negate the inhibitor and free up the Earth's energy for alchemical use. After that, Scar created a reverse circle to correct the corrupted alchemy of this country.
"Your little throne has been reduced to rubble!" Ed chided. He tore off his coat; Al, Myra and Izumi behind him in a ready position. "I'll take you down and the truth along with you!"
"Sister, let us fight him." Al turned to Myra. "We'll take it from here."
Myra hesitated for a brief moment, but nodded. She didn't want to hinder them. So instead, she watched Ed, Al and Izumi fight from afar using only their alchemy.
Her decision to oblige to Al's request seemed to be the right one, Myra thought, when she felt a pain in her chest. She clutched the fabric of her shirt by her heart, slowly sinking to the floor on her knees.
She looked up only when she heard Greed's voice and Ed yelling at him to leave the fight to them.
The next thing she knew, Father was gone as everyone stared at the huge gaping hole in the ceiling.
"That bastard! He's going to try to make another Philosopher's Stone." Hohenheim told them.
Izumi turned to Myra. "Let's move you someplace safe."
"I'm sorry," She said with guilt. "I didn't expect to be so useless." Izumi patted her shoulder, silently telling her that it was not her fault and that no one blamed her.
Ed was forced to stick around to finish his fight with Pride with Al and May deciding to go with Izumi.
Before they lifted themselves to higher levels of the building, Myra shouted, "You better not lose to him, Ed!" She tried to cover up how strained her voice sounded, hoping that no one would notice.
"Don't worry, I won't!" He said in reply.
With a nod to Izumi to let her know that she was ready, Izumi placed her hands on the ground. The floor around them broke into a circle as they felt themselves elevating.
Soon, the darkness that had just recently surrounding them got much brighter. Once they reached a higher level Myra noticed Sig, Hawkeye, Major Armstrong and a few others.
Sig and Izumi embraced in a hug. "Darling!" She cried.
Myra's attention immediately turned to Hawkeye. "Are you going to be alright?" She asked upon seeing the blonde covered in blood.
"Don't worry about me. I can still fight." She responded confidently.
"Are you sure?" May asked and Hawkeye nodded as if she was hardly injured at all.
Myra looked around. "Where's Mustang?" She asked.
Hawkeye's eyes became solemn as her gazed shifted to the floor. She slowly moved to the side.
Behind her sat an injured Mustang with smudges of dried blood on his face. His eyes were shut with a long slash along...
"You're blind..." Myra's voice was barely audible as she stared with shocked disbelief.
"All thanks to Pride and that crazed doctor." He said, venom in his voice. "How are you holding up?" His tone suddenly going back to normal.
"I've seen better days." Myra said, running a hand through her gold hair.
"Guess we're both pretty useless." He smirked and Myra gave a half smirk in return. "But we don't have to be out of the running yet." He said conspiratorially.
Myra raised a brow in curiosity, interested in whatever idea he had. "What did you have in mind?"