Meeden's Baby Birds

Short Summary
''Osamu and Kitora head to help Chika and the other trainees that are attacked by Rabbits. They succeed in doing so, only to release more Rabbits which cubify Kitora.''

Long Summary
At HQ, Shinoda wonders about the seemingly erratic strategy employed by the enemy. Aboard the enemy ship, Enedora wonders the same thing, complaining that they should just destroy Meeden (Earth) in one blow. Hyrein explains that the objective is to learn about all of Border's forces and reminds him that the ultimate goal is not to occupy or take over Meeden. Chika and Izuho watch attack on HQ from a distance, resolving to do what they can. Kōda Squad, on the other hand, gripe about being left for last and worry only about making a name for themselves in the battle.

In the city, Murakami directs his team to head to where the B-rank agents are meeting up and resolves to stay and fight the Rabbit confronting them until the A-rank agents arrive. Kazama Squad also defeats a Rabbit, but doesn't find Suwa inside, but only a glowing cube. Kazama tells Utagawa to call Suwa Squad and have the cube analyzed at HQ. When Kikuchihara wonders if HQ will be alright, Kazama considers all the people inside HQ and says that if all else fails, he will make his move.

Elsewhere, Jin walks up to Tsukihiko Amō, who is sitting the in recent wasteland of his "boring" fight. Jin asks Amō to cover his area to the west, offering him snacks as a bribe. Jin remarks that the enemy is about to bring out their big guns, and he ought to be there as well.

While Osamu and Kitora move southwest, Replica's clone remarks that Aftokrator's strategy is strange. He explains that the Trion cost of one Rabbit is incredibly high. Coupled with the outrageous number of other Trion Soldiers, far more than the first invasion, this would leave their own country defenseless. Furthermore, spreading out their forces seems to have no point. Kitora reasons that their purpose is to capture Trigger users. Replica replies that Border agents could simply bail out to avoid being captured, information the Rads should have told the Neighbors before. Replica worries that underneath the seemingly unrelated actions lies the enemy's true motive. If Border was pushed too hard by the enemy, new Black Triggers could be created, since people would likely sacrifice themselves. It has happened before that an attacker on the brink of victory has been pushed back by the sudden creation of Black Triggers. Kitora cuts off their conversation by telling Osamu that Trion Soldiers have invaded the Southwest.

As Chika and Izuho help a group of children escape, Kōda Squad destroys a Bamster, only for a new kind of Rabbit to appear from inside. Osamu and Kitora appear and stop the new Rabbit, but a Marmod also appears. Kitora tells Osamu to fight the Marmod and prove that he is different now. Remembering his first battle with the Marmod and how he had to rely on others for help, the training he did with Usami, and the advice he received from Karasuma, Osamu defeats the Marmod. He rushes to Kitora, who is firing at the Rabbit so fast that there is no room for Osamu to help. He tells the others to evacuate the civilians, but Izuho counters that Kitora seems to have the upper hand. Osamu reasons that Kitora never battled the new model, so she could lose nevertheless. Just as Kitora moves to cut the Rabbit with her blade; however, it flies up into the air and begins firing on the civilians. Enraged, Kitora jumps after it, but the Rabbit grabs her by the leg and throws her viciously into the ground. Resolved to not lose this time, Kitora cuts off her own leg and is able to cut the Rabbit's inner eye with her blade, destroying it.

Inside the enemy ship, Viza remarks that a flock of "baby birds" has appeared, focusing on a group of C-rank agents. Ranbanein remarks that it was no wonder none of them came out when they attacked the "nest." From within the body of the fallen Rabbit, three Rads appear and form gates, from which three more new Rabbits step out. Hyrein reveals that the C-rank agents are the true target, since their Trigger have no bailout function. He directs the other five to distract the official Border agents in order to allow the Rabbits to capture all the C-rank agents. Kitora discovers too late that each of the new Rabbits has different abilities. She tries to tell the C-rank agents to run, after realizing they're the Rabbits' true target, but is captured and turned into a cube before she can bailout. Osamu rushes in to save her but is knocked into a nearby house. He yells for everyone to run, but Chika is frozen in fear.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * Masafumi Shinoda
 * Motokichi Kinuta
 * Eizō Netsuki
 * Enedora
 * Hyuse
 * Hyrein
 * Ranbanein
 * Mira
 * Viza
 * Miscellaneous C-Ranks
 * Izuho Natsume
 * Chika Amatori
 * Replica (Small Avatar)
 * Hidehide Hinoe
 * Fumifumi Saotome
 * Teruteru Kōda
 * Tatsuya Kuruma
 * Kō Murakami
 * Taichi Betsuyaku (Debut)
 * Shirō Kikuchihara
 * Sōya Kazama
 * Ryō Utagawa
 * Kōtarō Suwa (Cube)
 * Isami Tōma
 * Yūichi Jin
 * Tsukihiko Amō (Debut)
 * Osamu Mikumo
 * Ai Kitora
 * Noboru Koarai (Flashback)
 * Miyoshi
 * Ichinose
 * Shiori Usami (Flashback)
 * Shun Midorikawa (Fantasy)
 * Kyōsuke Karasuma (Flashback)

Triggers in Order of Appearance

 * Asteroid (Tatsuya Kuruma/Assault Rifle)
 * Kogetsu (Kō Murakami, Hidehide Hinoe)
 * Egret (Taichi Betsuyaku)
 * Raygust (Kō Murakami/Blade Form, Osamu Mikumo)
 * Scorpion (Ryō Utagawa, Ai Kitora)
 * Ibis (Haruaki Azuma/Flashback)
 * Hound (Teruteru Kōda, Fumifumi Saotome)
 * Spider (Ai Kitora)

Adapted Chapters

 * Chapter 48 (Page 18-19)
 * Chapter 49
 * Chapter 50
 * Chapter 51
 * Chapter 52 (Page 1-8)

Differences Between the Anime and Manga

 * The anime adds the following:
 * When Kōda tells Hinoe and Saotome that the invasion could be their chance to shine, he tries throwing a can into a trash dispenser, but it misses the hole and falls to the ground after hitting the dispenser. Embarrassed, he then catches it and manually puts it in the hole.