The army assembled on the white snow, wearing their snow camouflage uniform, making it hard to decern between them and the snowy ground.
They know that war was coming, but they didnât fear what to come.
The Elric brothers stood in front of the fortress, witnessed the army power, and couldnât help asking.
âWhat is going on? Is there a war coming?â
Although Edward was a national Alchemist, he wasnât clear about the concept of war.
âThatâs not right, brother. The army seems to be headed into the country.â
âInto the country? Whatâs going onâŠ.â
Edward thought of something frightening. Olivier is going to rebel.
âThis isnât good. We cannot let this happen.â
Edward wanted to turn around and keep this from happening.
âShorty, donât mind otherâs business.â
Su Xiao looked at Edward and spoke.
âWho are you calling Shorty, whatâs going on?â
âHm? Weâre going to Central City and overthrow someoneâs rule.â
Edwardâs pupil contracted.
âWhat about the Central Cityâs residents.â
âThey can only accept their fate.â
âStop kidding; there are more tens of thousands of people there.â
âSo?â
Edwardâs breath almost stopped. If the Northern soldiers fight with Central City, then most civilians will become cannon fodders. Weapons canât decern between a soldier or civilian.
âWhen we were talking, you shouldâve listened secretly.â
âListened to whatâŠ.â
Su Xiao stared at Edward, making him terrified.
âLook for your father, tell him the plan of the Dwarf of The Flask, and beat him if need be. Otherwise, no one can stop the Dwarf in The Flask.â
Although Edwardâs Father wasnât as strong as he was before, the Dwarf in the Flask was created by him.
âMy father? HeâŠâ
Edward stopped as Su Xiao threw a document toward him containing what made the Dwarf in the Flask.
âHow⊠How is this possible.â
âNothing is impossible. This is the Dwarf in the Flaskâs development process. The Nationwide Transmutation Circle was created in the span of hundred years. Half of the previous Philosopherâs Stone created by the last Nationwide Transmutation Circle is inside your fatherâs body and contained hundreds of thousands of souls.â
Van Hohenheim was very important to defeat the Dwarf in the Flask.
Edward continued reading the document.
âThis simply an act of a friend, but what does this has to do with the Dwarf in the Flask and Van Hohenheimâs defeat.â
âYou donât need to know. You will see in Central City.â
Su Xiao turned around and walked.
âWait, the northern army canâtâŠ.â
Edwardâs words stopped as Su Xiao turned his head.
âDonât mind otherâs business. If you get in my way, I will kill you.â
Su Xiaoâs hand was on the handle of Dragon flash.
âKill me then.â
Edward held his palms together as blue rays flashed.
âJust kidding, you canât die yet. Youâre an important sacrifice.â
Su Xiao turned around to leave, while Edward stood dumbly in the same place while shivering.
âThis is bad, and this is really bad. Why does this fellow seem more dangerous than the Dwarf in the Flask? Alphonse, AlphonseâŠâ
Edward looked at his brother, who was standing still.
âDid you see the pendant in that manâs hand, brother?â
Alphonse spoke in a shaky tone.
âWhat pendant?â
Edward tried his best to recall and remembered the pendant in Su Xiaoâs hand.
âThatâs⊠Winryâs Pendant?â
Winry was Edwardâs Childhood friend.
âThat bastard, did he take Winry?â
Edward was furious and about to rush toward Su Xiao.
âDonât go, brother. We should leave quickly and look for Winry.â
âButâŠâ
Edward calmed down.
âOkay, letâs go find Winry first, then we go to Central City and stop the war.â
The Elric brothers hurriedly left the fortress, and shortly after, the army left the as well.
âŠ
Two days later, the army stopped in a small town.
This town is like a supply station for the Northern army since they didnât plan on going all the way on foot. They needed to take tanks and arms, or else they wouldnât be able to go to war.
This town was the first step into taking Central City, which was why Central City deployed twenty thousand soldiers here.
The Northern army received several warnings as they knew the purpose of the army coming here.
Olivier didnât stop the army and continued marching.
Thousands of tanks moved slowly on the snow leaving track marks.
The northern army dispatched more than 50,000 men, an average of 50 men by a tank.
They werenât all inside the tank, but even atop of them.
Su Xiao sat on a tankâs barrel, looking at the peaceful town.
Half a Kilometer to the town, sandbags were already in place, and soldiers held their weapons, preparing to engage.
âByakuya, the battle is about to start, donât sit on the tank.â
Olivier directly said.
âHow many are there?â
âAbout 20,000 to 30,000, all of them armed.â
âI will take down the enemyâs commander.â
During the war, Su Xiao didnât want to deal with ordinary soldiers. Killing the enemyâs commander was faster.
âOkay.â
Suddenly a shout came from the enemy ahead.
âOlivier Armstrong, surrender. You are a former General, and the president will make a way out for you.â
No one seemed to bother about this, and Olivier directly said: âAssemble formation, ready for battle.â
Thousands of tanks lined up, followed by fifty infantrymen. The tanks started moving forward, followed by the infantry.
This was the way of a large-scale war, and the tanks would make way for the infantry behind.
Boom! Boom!
The tanks started firing their shells, and mud splashed everywhere.
An officer of the Central army became frightened as soon as the battle started. He was only a second lieutenant because he had relations and never went to war before.
The shells started raining, and an explosion filled the place.
A shell fell down beside the frightened lieutenant before it exploded, sending shrapnel directly into his body, killing him after forty-three seconds since the war started.