Episode 6: The Elrics begin preparing for the state alchemy examination while lodging with Shou Tucker, known as the "Sewing-Life Alchemist," who is credited for creating intelligent chimeras. The brothers become fast friends with his young daughter Nina and her dog Alexander. Hughes and his wife Gracia throw a birthday party for Ed, interrupting a chance to cram. During the party, Gracia goes into labor and they witness the birth of Elicia. Ed discovers at this time that he can perform alchemy without a transmutation circle. After the written portion of the test, Mustang forces Al to drop out due to his absence of a body, and the suspicions that this fact would raise were it to be discovered by his higher-ups. Ed successfully passes the interview and passes the practical portion when he saves the entire prospective state alchemist group with his quick thinking, courage, and ability to transmute without the use of a circle.
Episode 7: Ed is now a "dog of the military" for having passed the state alchemy examination. Mustang gives Ed a silver pocket watch, being a symbol of his rank and an alchemical amplifier. Ed writes a letter to Winry, and Nina writes one to her mother. After Tucker's reluctance in answering Ed's questions concerning the talking chimera that he created two years ago, Ed investigates at the state library but is denied access. On the way out of the library, Ed encounters a mysterious man with a cross-shaped scar across his face, and a strange tattoo on his right arm. After Brigadier General Basque Grand finds out about Ed's investigations, he orders him to cease and desist, having the Elrics moving out of Tucker's mansion. However, the Elrics sneak into the mansion into Tucker's laboratory in the basement, where he has just finished creating another speaking chimera in order to satisfy his yearly examination requirements. Ed then verbally places the pieces of the puzzle together, revealing that Tucker was responsible for using his wife for his first chimera, and now he is using Nina and Alexander for his new chimera. Tucker tries to accuse Ed that he is guilty of this as well, and Ed nearly beats Tucker to death in response, though is stopped by the Nina-Alexander chimera. As Tucker is arrested, Ed manages to free the chimera, which escapes into an alleyway and encounters the scarred man. He declares it to be a sin against nature, and ultimately deconstructs it. The scarred man disappears, and the Elrics discover Nina-Alexander's blood-smeared remains on the alley wall.
Episode 8: Anguished by the horrible demise of Nina, and disgusted at his first assignment of organizing Tucker's research after learning of the man's death, Ed considers deserting to track down Nina's killer. Luckily, Al finds reference to the philosopher's stone among Tucker's papers. Ed is incredulous that such a thing even exists. Left to his own devices, Al has spoken to Führer King Bradley. Winry, who has arrived at Central to visit, is kidnapped by a butcher-turned-serial killer named Barry the Chopper, who disguises himself as a woman. Ed gets kidnapped as well and his automail arm is taken from him as he tries to free Winry and run away. Forced into a fight for his life, Ed almost kills Barry in an act of maddened desperation until Al arrived to stop him, having the authorities arrest Barry. Ed breaks down in tears, and then agrees to search for the philosopher's stone with Al after talking it out with him. Mustang later allows them to search for it, with the caveat that he be kept abreast of developments. Ed is officially dubbed the "Fullmetal Alchemist" by Bradley.
Episode 9: While the Elrics take Winry shopping, Ed receives his second assignment to inspect the coal mines at the town of Youswell. However, the townsfolk is distrusting of the state military. Lieutenant Yoki, the military commander in charge of the area, comes to collect taxes from the local inn, though a riot erupts. Ed appears in time before Yoki nearly murders Kyle, the son of the innkeeper. Yoki invites Ed to his mansion, after noticing that the Ed is a state alchemist, through flattery and bribery. The inn is suddenly destroyed come nightfall, in which Al save Kyle from under the rubble. Ed reluctantly transmutes the gold coins that Yoki attempted to bribe him with, overlaying the gold over coal bars. He then uses them to purchase the mine from Yoki under the guise of a priceless transfer before returning the bars to stone and selling the entire town to the people of Youswell for a single night stay at the newly repaired inn. Ed defeats Yoki's alchemist servant Lyra, becoming known as a hero.
Episode 10: After exposing Cornello in Lior as a fraud, the Elrics are on their way back to report to Mustang about the incident. They stop at the town of Aquroya where Ed gets treated for a stomach bug. That's where he and Al meets a kind and patient nurse who reminds Al of their mother. After being discharged from the hospital, Ed gets caught up in the manhunt for a talented cat burglar named Psiren, who uses her skills as an alchemist to repeatedly fool the local police. It turns out the cat burglar is the nurse and she convinces them she's stealing to raise money to prevent the hospital from being torn down. It soon becomes apparent she's not giving the money to the hospital after it gets demolished (and she repeats the same excuse with two other buildings). Al gives her the benefit of the doubt because he saw how kind she was and they find out she does help the city in an indirect way; she draws in tourists. Ed finally manages to catch her and Al isn't necessarily happy about it. In the end, the crafty Psiren escapes police custody.
Rating: 7/10 (Average)
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