魔法先生 ネギま！Volume 22 Chapter 197

Summary: Makie is riding a large lizard named Tama and she stops in front of a restaurant with a load of groceries. She’s met by Yuuna who helps her bring in the supplies. Inside, the regulars greet them cheerfully, some making jokes about their breast size. Since the two started working there, business has improved. The cat lady owner talks with “Johnny-san” about the girls trying to earn enough money to return home. He’s surprised when he learns they are “veteres” — people from the old world. He’s never known someone from there and even asks Yuuna for her autograph (he was the one who saved Yuuna). She’s surprised that people like her are so rare but Johnny wonders if she and Makie will be able to return home considering the destroyed gate to the old world. It could take years to fix said gate but most folks in Mundus Magicus don’t care much about whether it gets fixed or not.

Yuuna goes to tell Makie who stops her by pointing to a “TV” (for lack of a better term) where they see “Nagi” from the tournament, who specifically tells them that their teacher is with him as well as the others from the Athletic Club. He says that they should meet in a month’s time at the opening of the Ostia Tournament. They are very happy by what they hear and the patrons chatter of their favorite servers being mentioned on the TV. Makie wonders if the others are OK as well and Yuuna gets the lunch crowd fired up about their earning money for traveling fees. Meanwhile, Johnny assures Makie that he has a map to the place “Nagi” mentioned.

Back at the tournament, Negi tweaks the guy who’d abused Akira and the others about whom he bet on. The man warns Negi not to get cocky since their are fighters even more powerful. Negi meets with Asakura, Kotaro, Sayo, Chisame, and Chachamaru, with Kotaro using a fuda to keep them from being eavesdropped. They discuss his broadcast and whether Makie and Yuuna might have seen it. In addition, it seems that all bridges to Earth are destroyed and at best, it would take 2-3 years to repair them all. Ostia is the old capital of the Magic World until the war 20-years ago. Apparently, it has an unused, inactive gate that wasn’t destroyed by Fate’s group. So, their path leads to Ostia no matter what and they have a month to go.

Since the national tournament celebrating the end of the war is at Ostia, it will be crowded and should be perfect for them as wanted criminals to show up. Sayo pops out of her doll form to say that they can repay the debts, meet everyone, and return home all at once. So, Kotaro and Negi will continue to fight while the others work on tracking down the other members of Ala Alba.

Negi wanders the town and reflects on things. Negi figures that he will surely meet Fate again and he wonders about their plan and if they’ll leave the final gate untouched. He knows he can’t currently beat Fate and wonder how he could beat him. At the match, he talks with Kotaro about what he could be lacking. Kotaro says finishing strikes is what he needs. As they discuss it, they are ignoring their opponents who decide to attack. Their opponents lose immediately when Negi and Kotaro send them flying. However, Nagi knows he must get stronger.

In the crowd, a man who looks a lot like the “Big Sword Dude” from Nagi’s Ala Ruba squad observes and likes what he sees in Negi.

Thoughts: Now we see what Negi’s plan was. It was good seeing Makie and Yuuna, who are doing the same thing as Akira, Natsumi, and Ako, only they are getting paid rather than be slaves. So it looks like in one month story time, everyone should be gathered together again. As to the BSD, I figure he was the one that they were to meet at the gate port. It is possible that he was the one who warned Asuna about the above attack. Some have speculated that it is Kotaro since he uses “neechan” often. However, my problem with that is that Kotaro hasn’t shown he’s a telepath.