ZETMAN - Katsura Masakazu Short Story Collection

Land of the Lustrous

In a distant future, Earth is home to the Lustrous, crystalline lifeforms who defend themselves against the Lunarians, invaders from the moon who seek to harvest their bodies for weapons and decorations. Among the twenty-eight gems, Phosphophyllite is the most fragile and brittle, with no visible talent for battle. Longing to fight but deemed too weak, Phos is instead assigned by their master Adamantine to compile a natural history of their world. The task seems dull and pointless, but it brings Phos into contact with Cinnabar, a gem forced to live in isolation due to their dangerous nature. As Phos pursues this seemingly mundane assignment, they begin to uncover deeper truths about their

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

Humanity once built thriving industrial civilizations, but a devastating war known as the Seven Days of Fire brought them to ruin. A thousand years later, the remnants of the human race survive in scattered kingdoms at the edges of the Sea of Corruption, a vast and toxic forest of fungi that spreads relentlessly and fills the air with poisonous spores. Nausicaä is the princess of the Valley of the Wind, a small agricultural kingdom whose coastal winds keep the miasma at bay. When the imperialist Torumekia invades the Dorok Empire, she is forced to join the military campaign and witnesses the horrors of war up close. Torn between duty and compassion, Nausicaä uses her empathy for the creatu

Hotel

In a future where humanity has vanished, a lone computer persists for 27 million years to fulfill its mission. Elsewhere, Hanako awakens from a deep sleep with only three days left to live, while her husband Takao grapples with the knowledge that her heart belongs to another. In another tale, Jun Shiozaki dedicates himself to resurrecting the extinct tuna by any means imaginable. Noriko discovers she is pregnant by her lover Matsumura, a prominent doctor with a family of his own. He insists the pregnancy is a rapidly growing cancer that must be removed immediately, leaving Noriko torn between his diagnosis and her own desires. These stories explore the boundaries of science, emotion, and su

Trinity Blood

In a distant future, Armageddon has left the world in ruins and brought a second moon into the sky. Humanity, known as the Terrans, is locked in a long war with the Methuselah, vampires who feed on human blood. The conflict pits the Vatican against the New Human Empire, but many on both sides still hope for peaceful coexistence. Esther Blanchett is an orphan raised in the Church of St. Matthias in the city of Istvan. Her quiet life ends when she meets Abel Nightroad, a Vatican priest sent to deal with local vampire threats. Beneath his gentle manner hides a terrible secret: he is a Crusnik, a vampire who feeds on other vampires. When her church is destroyed and she is betrayed by someone s

Bereave or Bereaved

Setou Yuu is a twelve-year-old boy whose life is a relentless cycle of misery. Despite his sharp intellect, he endures brutal physical abuse from his father and regular beatings from debt collectors, leaving his small body covered in scars. He is utterly deprived of safety, love, or hope. One day, he is violently killed and transported to a different world governed by video game-like mechanics. In this new reality, Yuu discovers he possesses a unique and formidable power: the ability to steal skills and abilities from others. Armed with this power, he finally has the means to strike back against those who have wronged him, beginning a ruthless quest for vengeance in a land where strength is

Vampire Hunter D

In the distant year of 12,090 AD, humanity survives in a shattered world ruled by mutants and the vampiric Nobility. These immortal overlords prey upon the weak without mercy, their bite dooming victims to an eternal undead existence. Villages live in constant terror, their only hope resting in the hands of a specialized and dangerous profession: the Vampire Hunter. The desperate Doris Lang seeks out the legendary hunter known only as D. She has been bitten by the vampire lord Count Lee and now faces a horrific transformation. As D takes on her case, he must navigate a perilous world of ancient evils and monstrous threats, battling to save Doris from her cursed fate before it is too late.