A-Rank Agents of Tamakoma

Short Summary
''Osamu, Yūma and Chika are introduced to Kirie Konami, Kyōsuke Karasuma and Reiji Kizaki, who are going to be their masters from now on. Meanwhile, Border's Top Brass welcome back the teams that were on the away mission, who are finally back.''

Long Summary
At Tamakoma Branch, Rindō and his son eat breakfast with Raijinmaru. Elsewhere, Osamu, Yūma, Chika, Jin, and Usami meet to discuss how Osamu's team can achieve A-Rank. Usami explains that first Yūma and Chika have to move up to B-rank, as it would make them official agents which will allow them to participate in defense missions or compete in rank wars against other teams will allow them to move up to A-rank. However, since enlistment is held only three times per year, Yūma will have to wait until then. In the meantime, Yūma will need to learn how to use Border Triggers, since using his Black Trigger will automatically make him S-Rank and therefore disqualifies him from joining a team with the others. It is decided that Chika will also be a combatant.

Yōtarō interrupts by entering the room and promptly falling asleep on Raijinmaru's back. Next, the decide upon each person's position: attacker, gunner, or sniper. Chika, who has great endurance and patience, is chosen to be a sniper. Suddenly, a girl bursts in the door.

the girl enters the room and shakes an unconscious Yōtarō, demanding to know if he was the one who ate her. Usami quickly apologizes for feeding the pancakes to their guests. Two more people walk in, commenting on the noise, and are greeted by Jin as Reiji and Kyōsuke. He introduces the new recruits, and falsely claims they are his younger brothers and sister. Kyōsuke confirms this, but Reiji admits Jin is an only child.

With the next recruitment day only three weeks away, Jin requests that each of the three A-Rank agents offer one-on-one training to their new recruits. Konami refuses at first, but Jin informs them that it is an order from Rindō. Resigned, Konami immediately picks out Yūma as the strongest. Chika is assigned to Reiji, the only agent with sniper experience. Osamu is left with Kyōsuke. Jin gets away, saying that he cannot mentor anyone since he has a lot to do. At HQ, Kido is informed that the away teams will return in about three days (see Episode 9).

Back at Tamakoma Branch, Chika activates a Trigger for the first time, learning that she can set her pain sensor to zero, effectively not feeling any pain from her Trion Body. Usami creates an artificial environment in Training Room 3, where Reiji and Chika practice shooting. Reiji teaches Chika that if she aims well, she'll hit the target. He instructs her to continue shooting until her Trion runs out, since he must leave on defense duty. Reiji admits to Usami that although Chika is motivated and obedient, she isn't cut out for combat. In Training Room 1, Kyōsuke tells Osamu that a long time ago Kido said Triggers were not merely weapons but the foundation of Neighbor civilization. They activate their Triggers, and Kyōsuke orders Osamu to attack him with everything he's got. In Training Room 2, Konami orders Yūma to pick a Trigger and attack her. Usami confirms that Yūma can attack her with everything he's got. Yūma refuses to use honorifics when addressing Konami unless she beats him. In turn, Konami agrees to call Yūma by his name (and not "shrimp") if he beats her.

At the end of the day, Kyōsuke asks an exhausted Osamu if he is really B-Rank. Konami exits Training Room 2 in disbelief. Yūma exits looking sorely beaten and claims he won, but only the last of ten matches. Osamu is shocked that Yūma only once against Konami, who challenges Yūma to another match. Kyōsuke asks if Osamu can also continue, and not to be outdone, he agrees. When Reiji returns, he is shocked to learn that Chika is still shooting due to her incredible Trion volume (see Episode 7). Outside, he admits to Shiori that perhaps these new recruits really are extraordinary.

Three days later, a gate opens inside Border HQ, and the away team returns with Border's top teams.

Characters in order of appearance

 * Raijinmaru
 * Takumi Rindō
 * Yōtarō Rindō
 * Shiori Usami
 * Yūichi Jin
 * Yūma Kuga
 * Chika Amatori (Present then Flashback)
 * Osamu Mikumo
 * Kirie Konami
 * Reiji Kizaki
 * Kyōsuke Karasuma
 * Masamune Kido
 * Motokichi Kinuta
 * Eizō Netsuki
 * Katsumi Karasawa
 * Masamune Kido

Triggers in order of appearance

 * Egret (Chika Amatori)
 * Bagworm (Chika Amatori)

Adapted Chapters

 * Chapter 22
 * Chapter 23

Differences Between the Anime and Manga

 * At the start, there is an anime-only scene of Yōtarō eating breakfast with Director Rindō and Raijinmaru
 * Due to this, in the anime he was shown walking into the room where Usami and co was talking while in the manga, he was there from the beginning.
 * When Usami shows the position frogs, the anime sports a more cartoony design, additionally the anime added a scene where Yūma questions what they are, with Osamu answering how they are frogs.
 * The anime added a scene where they have Chika choosing a trigger, and has her turn it on, afterwards they talk about how you can change how much pain a person feels whilst in a Trion Body and mentions that they set hers to zero as "it is her first time".
 * After all of those scenes, one more anime-only scene was added afterwards and it was Usami creating the training room after that they show Chika first, while in the manga, Osamu was the first one shown in the training room. Additionally Reiji tells Usami how he doesn't see how Chika is suited for combat in the anime while in the manga it was internal dialogue.