Negima! Vol 23 (Ch 212) SPOILERS
魔法先生 ネギま！Volume 23 Chapter 212

Summary:

The race begins with the “Dunce Duo” of Collet and Yue making surprising progress, forcing the class inchou Emily to actively get involved. Collet and Yue defend against her spell and counter with Collet attacking. However, Emily is prepared and strips Collect with her Exarmatio spell. However, this allowed Yue to get behind Emily and return the favor. Emily and Collet are off to the races again with this being watched by the other students, who speculate on if Yue was just lucky or skilled. Their teacher feels it is the later.

Yue and Collet are leading the pack with Yue sure they will have to face Emily again. Emily tells Beatrice they will be taking a shortcut through the Forest of Monsters. Even though it isn’t against the rules, Beatrice wonders if it isn’t a little to dangerous considering what lives in the forest. Meanwhile as Yue and Collet fly on the forest’s border, Yue wonders about cutting through it. Collet says it is impossible and asks Yue to slow down, wondering when she became so skilled at a broom. Yue confesses to feeling magic flowing through her for a while now. Collet is going to show Yue the (pactio) card she found which had been solid white but is now starting to form an image.

As they fly, Emily and Beatrice emerge from the forest ahead of them, but also emerging from the forest is a very large Griffin Dragon, which Yue nearly crashes into and Emily crashes as a result of being chased by it. The griffin uses its Kamaitachi breath attack but Yue, aided by Beatrice and the pactio card that had been held by Collet, blocks it. Emily is amazed by this but more so to see the pactio card. Yue loses her clothing due to the attack, but activating the pactio card, she is re-clothed with the stored Mahora school uniform therein.

Elsewhere, Yuuna is dreaming that Makie has learned magic and has been able to increase her bust size at the expense of Yuuna’s bust size. In the other bed, Makie is using a practice wand and has been able to make a small flame.

Thoughts:

Yue FTW! The image above says it all, doesn’t it? I’ve never had anything against Yue, but as a member of the battle harem, she seemed like another person geared to aiding Nodoka with intel in the rear while Asuna, Setsuna, Kaede, Ku Fei, Chachamaru, and Negi (did I miss anyone) did all the actual fighting. With her improving skills and the way she instinctively reacted in this crisis, I dare say Akamatsu-sensei is going to make her a competent fighter when all is said and done. Another fighter cannot be a bad thing and if anything, she can help provide a defense for Nodoka and Konoka in the rear.

Question is, does this mean that Yue has recovered her memories with the activation of the pactio card?

I figure that the flow of magic Yue mentions combined with the pactio card beginning to reveal itself has to be magic from Negi. The boy has a deep, deep well, doesn’t he? I still say he’s Nagi.

The one-page dedicated to Yuuna and Makie as comic relief provided a “here we are” item for them (showing Makie learning magic…and considering her pactio card was designed years ago, I suppose her making a pactio is in the near future). Nice to see them again, even if it did mean breaking away from Yue.