20 years ago, 「Talent Users」 appeared suddenly in the world. Due to the Talent Users who possessed mighty power, the world’s power balance collapse, and every large countries fight in the 「World Talent Great War」. After the long war which lasted for 10 years, the world map was redrawn due to the geographic changes and also the international treaty. It was rearranged from the world without Talent Users to the world with Talent Users…No, to 「the world ruled by Talent Users」. Before one knows, Serizawa Atsushi, the protagonist awakens to his Talent and he dreams to be a hero. However, his Talent evaluation is 「【One who changes temperature】」. The lowest level of the 5 level evaluation, 「S-LEVEL 1 」. The level which the country treats the Talent as trash.

This is the tale of a man who had mastered how to “parry.” *“I have no talent at all…”* At the age of 12, a young boy named Noru had decided to train himself in the mountains after being rejected by the capital’s official training centers for being “talentless.” He believed that, with enough hard work and effort, he could one day become like the protagonists that populate his childhood stories. Full of determination, he would practice every day with his makeshift wooden sword, endlessly repeating the only sword technique he knew—“parry.” The hours turned into days, the days turned into months, and the months turned into years. Eventually, he had trained this one skill to such an extreme that he could snap a thousand branches with it. However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get the desired result, he couldn’t learn any new skills required to become a real adventurer. It may be time to let go of his dream. But he couldn’t. Not just yet. Knowing this, he returned to the capital again. This was a man of endless dedication, a man who used that dedication to become one of the strongest in the world. The only problem is, he didn’t know it yet.

The Kingdom of Clays faces a dire crisis: an assassination attempt has just been made on its own Princess Lynneburg, and its neighboring countries eye the aftermath like starving vultures, plotting the Kingdom’s downfall. The ensuing conflict will shape the face of the continent for centuries to come...but Noor doesn’t have a clue about any of that! Having freshly arrived at the royal capital after over a decade of rigorous, isolated training at his mountain home, he’s dead set on achieving his childhood dream of becoming an adventurer, even if the only skills he possesses are useless ones. Sure, he can \[Parry\] thousands of swords in the span of a single breath, but everybody knows you need more than that if you want to be an adventurer! Our hero’s road to making his dream come true will be long(?) and arduous(?)—but if there’s one thing Noor’s not afraid of, it’s some good ol’ fashioned hard work! (Source: J-Novel Club)

20 years ago, 「Talent Users」 suddenly appeared in the world. These Talent Users possessed mighty power, bringing about a collapse in the world's power balance, and forcing every large country to fight in the「World Talent Great War」. After the 10 year-long war, the world map had been redrawn due to the geographical changes brought by war and the international treaty. The world had been rearranged from one without Talent Users to a world with Talent Users…No, to 「The World Ruled by Talent Users」. Before anyone knew, Serizawa Atushi, the protagonist, awoke to his Talent and dreams to become a hero. However, his Talent evaluation is 「【One Who Changes Temperature】」. The lowest level of the 5 level evaluation, 「S-LEVEL 1 」. A level at which the country treats the Talent as trash.

A 33-volume collection of award-winning oneshots put out by Kodansha from 2002-2012. Some of these would later get serialized or collected in other volumes. **Serialized or otherwise collected:** AKABOSHI Tomo [Shishunki Syndrome](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=10895992058) AKIZUKI Risu [Oku-sama Shinkaron](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=8585) ARAI Hideki [8-gatsu no Hikari](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=48516) ARAMAKI Keiko [GENOMES](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=100366) ASADA Torao [Spoonman 3.18](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=7155) ASHINANO Hitoshi [Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=586) Endo Hiroki [Kitto Kawaii Onnanoko Dakara](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=5984) ENOMOTO Shunji [Golden Lucky](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=44334) IGARASHI Daisuke [Obayashi ga Hikoeru Hi, Hoka (collected in Hanashippanashi](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=2347) IRIE Kiwa [Haikibun! Sakanahime](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=54246) IRIE Noriko [Neko no Te Kashimasu](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=34406) KIMURA Kon [Koube Zaijuu](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=6616) KITOH Mohiro [Vandemieru no Tsubasa](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=2395) KOMAI Yu [Sonna Yatsua Inee!!](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=16844) MATSUMOTO Taiyou [STRAIGHT](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=9964) NIHEI Tsutomu [BLAME! (prototype chapter, included in NOiSE)](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=2275) OHARA Shinji [Boku wa Otouto](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=23188) SAMURA Hiroaki [Mugen no Juunin](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=1628) SOUJI Hajime [Sanmon Mirai no Katei Houmon](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=95297) TOUME Kei [Kurogane](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=1034) TOYODA Minoru [Love Roma](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=5227) TSUCHIDA Seiki [Miseinen](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=65435) URUSHIBARA Yuki [Mushishi prototype chapter, collected in Filament](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=35219) WAKANA Shouhei [Kamen Tenshi](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=38659) **Other:** Hiramatsu Kannosuke [Yume](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=134645) ABE Yoshitoshi [Ame no Furu Basho](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=70439511114) Eshikawa is a man who has lost sight of his life and stumbles through it, with no clear meaning or purpose. One day, he is informed that his ex-girlfriend committed suicide, which sets his brain on retrospect mode. He goes on a journey of self-revelation and contemplates upon the myriad of human emotions, the joys and sorrows of normalcy. YAMAZAKI Ren [Like a Laika](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=15464858831) From Atelier du Noir Scans: The daily, average life and interactions of some of a ship’s crew as they depart to explore space. Winner of the Jiro Tanaguchi Special Award for manga in the 2010 Four Seasons Award Anthology. NADEGATA Nazuna [Kokenoshima](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=25320595156) From Atelier du Noir Scans: On a remote island, a skilled swordsman who honed his craft on the local population attempts to atone for his sins and lift a curse by hunting and killing demons. Winner of the Hagio Moto Special Award for manga. KIBA Kouichi [Jagua](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=26870403448) As the protagonist is returning home one night, she runs into a man who had just been in a car crash. As he is dying, he asks her to throw a certain package into the sea. JOUYAMA Yui [Zanuff the Butcher](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=57841268625) A butcher with a dark secret finds a little girl. HAYASHIDA Q [Sofa-chan](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=9150331372) Tells the story of a female ghost who lives on a couch and it's the debut work of Q Hayashida as mangaka. KANOU Rie [Kingdom of Stars](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=20282565791) Oneshot about love, religion, and a big misunderstanding that leads to a weird situation...