Ep 9. Beware x Of x Prisoners

Kurapika and Leorio, alongside Gon and Killua, are continuing their journey to catch up with Hisoka, the hunter they met during the previous phase of the exam. While on the way, they decide to take a detour to visit a place called Trick Tower.

This tower is where the next phase of the exam is being held. It is a prison-like structure, consisting of multiple floors, each with its own unique challenges, which the candidates must overcome to proceed to the next level.

Upon arriving, they witness a number of prisoners being escorted into the tower, and they soon find out that they are to be temporary prisoners themselves for the next phase of the exam. To make things more difficult, there are three rules they must abide by throughout their time in the tower:

1. They cannot harm any of the other candidates 2. They cannot kill any of the prisoners 3. They must find and retrieve a certain number of cards within a given time frame

The reward for passing this phase of the exam is a Hunter license, something all of the candidates have been working towards throughout the entire exam.

Before they are taken to their cells, they meet their temporary guardian, Tonpa, who is a veteran of the Hunter exams, and who appears to be overly friendly towards them. They quickly learn that he is not to be trusted, as he immediately offers them poisoned drinks, revealing himself to be the "Rookie Crusher," someone whose sole purpose is to sabotage the efforts of rookie hunters.

Once they are settled into their cells, Gon and Killua team up to collect some of the required cards, while Kurapika and Leorio set off on their own. Gon and Killua soon realize something is off, as they are the only ones actively searching for the cards. They encounter a group of prisoners who are friendly at first, but they soon turn on them once they realize they are candidates for the Hunter exam.

Kurapika and Leorio, on the other hand, run into members of a rival team, who also seem to be actively searching for the cards. They agree to work together, but things quickly take a turn for the worse when they are ambushed by another group of prisoners. Kurapika shows off his impressive Nen ability, which proves invaluable in their escape.

Meanwhile, Tonpa continues to sabotage the candidates' efforts, by lying to them about the rules and attempting to poison them further. It is revealed that he is working with a group of prisoners, who are using him as a pawn in their own scheme to escape the tower.

As the deadline to collect the required cards approaches, the candidates must work together to overcome the challenge of the Trick Tower. But with prisoners, Tonpa, and rival teams all working against them, it is tense and dangerous at every turn. Will they be able to complete this phase of the exam and move onto the next?

'Beware x Of x Prisoners' is an action-packed episode that highlights the dangers of the Hunter exam and the lengths that candidates must go to in order to succeed. The Trick Tower provides a formidable challenge, and the introduction of Tonpa and his sabotaging tactics ups the stakes even more. The episode also showcases the different skills and abilities of each of the main characters and sets the stage for what is sure to be an even tougher second phase of the exam.