April 23rd, 2009 
AstroNerdBoy 魔法先生 ネギま！Volume 27 Chapter 249 (manga)
Mahou Sensei Negima! Manga Chapter 249
Negima! Manga Vol 27 (Ch 249)
Summary/Synopsis:
Ostia is celebrating the fight of a decade as the match between “Nagi-san” and Jack Rakan ends in a draw. Ako, Akira, and Natsumi congratulate Negi for the job he did and despite the fact that he only won half the money needed to free him, they are still happy and feel that the rest of the money can be obtained somehow. Natsumi makes a point of congratulating Kotaro, who wonders why she’s acting all weird.
Jack arrives and after playfully chasing Natsumi a bit, he tosses his half of the money at Negi, telling him he earned it. Though the match was officially a draw, Jack states that in his mind, Negi actually won. Jack and copy-Eva are very impressed with everything Negi has done and heap praise on him for his mental solutions to the problems in creating and adapting new attacks and spells. All of this talk leads Chisame to remark to Chamo that Negi has officially joined the “Monster Squad.” Negi thanks Jack and copy-Eva and cites Ako and Tosaka as the driving force behind what he was ultimately able to pull off.
During a ceremony, Theo summons the three keys needed to unlock the collars of Ako, Natsumi, and Akira. Kotaro unlocks Natsumi’s collar while Negi first unlocks Akira’s collar, then Ako’s. Afterward, Negi is alone when the Magia Erebea begins to get him. The process is interrupted when Jack arrives. Jack makes no mention of the Magia Erebea, but tells Negi that the injuries he sustained will take more than late artifact work (from Konoka’s artifact) and arena healers to cure. Jack sends Negi to the medical room as Jack has summoned a doctor from Megalo.
Once Negi is gone, Jack asks copy-Eva if what he saw was in fact Magia Erebea. Copy-Eva confirms this and notes that Jack pushing Negi like he did on a whim is the cause. She states that eventually they’ll have to do something about it but that her real body should be able to handle that. Jack tells copy-Eva that it wasn’t whim that made him push Negi, but Fate Averruncus (from Cosmo Entelecheia) and whatever plans he has. Jack feels that Negi and crew will be tied up in the ultimate fate of the Magic World.
Thoughts/Review:
A draw! Good. I like that AND I like the throw-away line by some random person about Jack merely testing Negi and still holding back. Let’s face it — despite everything Jack did, he did hold back some, even if it were to simply enjoy fighting. He may have cut loose toward the end but by not going for the “instant kill” is a form of holding back.
So officially, Negi doesn’t get a win and yet Akamatsu-sensei provides a logical means for Jack to hand over his 500,000DP and thus wrap up the slave sub-plot. That’s where Akamatsu-sensei is so good — writing in a logical fashion. He sets the table for things to happen, sometimes months and years in advance (in real time of course, not story time). He sets Jack up to be a total mercenary, yet provides a means for Jack to give up his half of the money to free Ako, Natsumi, and Akira in a way that is believable. I like that a lot.
Also in the like category is Natsumi’s little crush on Kotaro. *lol* That’s been teased for quite some time and while Kotaro doesn’t get it, I liked that he was the one to unlock her collar. It was a sweet and cute moment to be sure. Of course that takes nothing away from Negi unlocking Ako and Akira either. ^_^
Yue’s cameo is a nice touch. I kinda hope that she is up next on the list of dangling plot threads to be resolved. Her’s would be the quickest and easiest to do I think, but obviously Negi’s scout team trying to find Anya would be more important since officially, Anya is the only one still missing. So maybe we get to see Yue and the scout team as A-B stories. We’ll see.
Akamatsu-sensei wasn’t subtle at all about the Magia Erebea and Negi, was he? *lol* With copy-Eva’s remarks, I wonder if the real Eva will show up before this arc has concluded. I don’t think it is too much to say that the ME issue will play a role somehow in the story and that I would guess Akamatsu-sensei is making it so that he doesn’t have to deal with that plot thread at the moment. Still, as Negi walks to the medical room, I couldn’t help but wonder if someone we’ve met before might be waiting for Negi there, whether for good or ill.
So we have a nice wrap-up chapter to end the slave sub-plot and the tournament sub-arc. ^_^
Negima! chapter 250 won’t be out until May 13th! Spoilers will likely come out on May 9, but could possibly be out earlier. I’ll try to keep an eye open for them and as always, I appreciate the rest of you who let me know when you notice spoilers appear. ^_^
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Good Chapter! 🙂
I liked the idea that the fight was a draw. It would show that Negi now belongs to the “Monster Squad”, and that no one won, but the conditions about Negi’s manhood are still considered.
Hmm. Golden Week here next week huh?
Maybe I won’t be able to see spoilers. I’ll try my best to keep updated here though. Thanks ANB for the spoilers. 😀
it was a fking amazing chapter.
The Ne – Nagi pretense is wearing thin. I expect Fate to exploit it in order get away, much as Secondus did. Jack’s hunches are usually good, so it’s likely that Fate’s boss is going to be of a power level much higher level than even Rakan.
@Renzo — I will have Negima-related posts this Saturday and next too. ^_~
@mastermack0 — yep
@Anon — I think that a higher-level boss than Fate could allow Negi and company to save MW, defeat Fate, and still return to Earth while having another peril to face in the future.
Hmm, Natsumi’s getting sort of a tsundere “feel” to her.
About Yue, nothing of importance is ever quick and easy with Akamatsu-sensei. I’m sure he’ll find some way to extend the whole memories thing. It could’ve been over and done with when they were in the baths but something as simple as an interruption completely halted any hope of it happening then.
I got excited at hearing the real Evangeline mentioned. REALLY hoping to see her soon.
Wait a minute Megalomesembria isn’t that where they started.
Maybe Takamichi, Mana and Donett will be arriving to help shortly.
I’m not sure the Yue plot will be next. my guess is the whole negi’s mom thing will be shown first.
@Anon — I’d like to say that they’ll show up sooner rather than later but we’ll see.
@Sa Cul — Akamatsu-sensei never even mentioned Negi’s mother until well into the MW arc (the only possible exception being during the Mahora Festival when the English version has one of Negi’s students mention that Negi has no mother or father). With that in mind, I don’t think he’s going to be in any hurry to go further down that path. More important story-wise is finding Anya. BUT, we’ll see and if you are right, I’ll toss kudos your way. ^_^
Anyone else get the feeling that Yue will regain her memories after watching that video of the match that she bought.
quoting anon:Anyone else get the feeling that Yue will regain her memories after watching that video of the match that she bought.quoting myself from ANB’s 249 spoiler post: So could 250 show Yue and her fellow knights watching the fight on video? Or will they get “rick-rolled” 😛That’s what I was actually thinking as well (when I commented on Yue buying the video of the match); if perhaps Yue is shown next chapter watching the video with her Ariadne colleagues, then perhaps she might regain her memories, or at least gain enough bits of it to be compelled enough by her mounting suspicions about her connection to “Nagi”/Negi, enough to attempt to approach “Nagi”/Negi and ask him about it.
Still since he’s in his “older” form currently (unless he decides to operate in public as himself/Negi-form, then that might not happen…since he’s wanted and all…(but “Nagi” would be even more likely to get mobbed by fans in public as well..hmm)
Then again, there are other interesting unresolved plot points that could be tackled next chapter, as pretty much everyone else has said…
When will they find out that the real asuna is captured and I wonder if Fate’s boss is still alive from Rakan’s memory video?
I like to think that Fate’s boss is still alive. ^_^
As to Asuna, well, we’ll see.
I posted ‘Well Negi’s technique is the move is fused with his soul [or something like that]. So could the technique be taking over his soul?
Hm….’
So i guess i was pretty close to the fact that its the effect of the Magic Ereba….
Wow.
Can’t wait for the next chapter!!
Good way to end things. As I said in t he spoiler post, its a nice but short chapter, that is setting up for a bigger scene.
I liked the beggining, how everyone is either “Nagi Won”, “Jack Won” or “Definate Draw” especially when they betted during the fight. LoL, if only everyone fought for the lulz and betted accordingly XD.
But now, the thing I’d like to point out is Negi’s Temporary pactio, considering it is temporary, it hasn’t dissapeared yet. And I hope one of the sports girls (Most likely Ako or Makie) become a partner soon, really want more to Negi’s Ala Alba group (aka Negis Merrymen or Negi’s Battle Harem :] ) And I’ve always mentioned that Kotaro need to Pactio with Negi (I know the yaoi funs would love the kiss form :]) but really I’d like to see if there are other forms, perhaps the blood contract?
Just one more week of waiting. I can be patience for that.
List of sport girl pactio order
1.Ako chi ^0^
2.Maki chaan
3.Yuna or Akira
4.Misora (perhap)