The Third

is a Japanese light novel series by Ryo Hoshino and illustrated by Ariko Ito and was published under the Fujimi Fantasia Shobo imprint. A manga titled THE THIRD Aprentis Girl on the Desert Planet was published on Monthly Dragon Age magazine for 2 volumes.

An anime series titled  premiered on the WOWOW channel from April 13 to October 26, 2006. According to the New York Comic Convention, The Third has been licensed by Kadokawa Pictures U.S.A. and is distributed by Nozomi Entertainment for U.S. release.

Plot
In the distant future, because of an interplanetary war that had continued on for centuries, civilizations were ruined. Humans have lost everything, and only 1/5th of the population survived until a strange breed of humans, The Third is said to have appeared just after the war. They possess a third eye, as their name suggests, that appear as oval-shaped red pupils called "space eyes" over their conventional two eyes. Using them, they can control computer systems and so on, and as such, rule the world by their superior power over technology.

A young woman named Honoka is a "jack-of-all-trades" sellsword, who accepts any job except murder. One day, she happens to find and rescue a young man named Ikus in the desert. Entering his world, and accepting a job from him, the adventure begins for Honoka and Ikus.