The manga is set in the year 2048 and centers around Hiryu, a young Super A-grade Strider who retired early during his career after he was forced to kill his elder sister Mariya, a Strider who went insane (as shown in the prequel story). The main series begins with Hiryu living peacefully in Mongolia when his former superior, Vice Director Matic, forces him out of retirement in order to kill his best friend Cain, who has been captured by hostiles in the Kazakh SSR and has become a liability to the rest of the Striders. With the help of Strider Sheena, Hiryu manages to rescue and extract Cain, but he attacks them after regaining consciousness. Hiryu manage to subdue Cain, but not before Sheena is mortally wounded and dies. Hiryu uncovers a small device implanted under Cain's neck and learns that he has been the subject of a mind-control weapon codenamed Zain and that Hiryu's sister Mariya was under the influence of Zain when she went rogue. After Cain regains his sense and freewill, he decides to make amends for Sheena's death by teaming up with Hiryu and stop the Zain project from reaching its completion. The two learn that an organization known simply as the "Enterprise" is behind the Zain project and that Matic himself was cooperating with the Enterprise leader Faceas Clay. With the help of Cain, Strider Chief Kuramoto, and a group of other Striders, Hiryu manages to thwart Matic and Clay, and destroy the main Zain terminal. (Source: Wikipedia)

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...