魔法先生 ネギま！Volume 31 Chapter 277 (manga)
Mahou Sensei Negima! Manga Chapter 277
Negima! Manga Vol 31 Ch 277 Review

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Nodoka watches as Craig is turned into large flakes. As the large, hooded mage chants a new incantation, Aisha rushes to push Nodoka out of the way only to be hit with a “Rewrite” and also dissolve into flakes.

Elsewhere, Natsumi and Kotaro race away and discuss the situation. Kotaro wants Natsumi to activate her pactio and laments they didn’t have time to form pactios with the sports girls (Ako, Yuuna, Akira, and Makie). Kotaro tries to get Natsumi to tell him what she said after they formed the pactio (her love confession) as he didn’t hear it, but she refuses. They are joined by Mama, who immediately congratulates Natsumi for confessing. As the trio continue on their way, Mama gives Natsumi some advice on staying ahead of rivals, which Natsumi protests since Kotaro is actually only ten. Natsumi notices Mama has stopped and she has one of the winged creatures. She crushes its skull but takes a blast just the same.

At the Plan B meet-up sight, Kaede safely brings the sports girls, who emerge from her cloak. Yuuna is frustrated that they didn’t form a pactio so that they could help when two arena kids (Pira and Chin) spot them. Kaede is about to take them out as they are determined to report their finding to the authorities when Tosaka arrives and sets the two straight with his fist. He’s letting them go as a fellow side-character so Ako offers her thanks and words about being the star of his own life. Before anything else can be said, a figure arrives with a key-staff. Tosaka attacks, but is blasted and dissolves into flakes.

Back in the main hall, a winged monster dissolves the group of soldiers into flakes. This stuns everyone and as Yue attempts to look up information about the key-staff, a summoned creatures with a key-staff arrives. Emily knocks Yue out of the way and takes a partial hit. Mana opens up but her bullets are hitting a powerful barrier, presumably created by the key-staff. As Yue tends to the injured Emily, Bea tries to take out the creature but fails. It readies another attack so Yue goes to Shield Emily as Mana opens fire again, finally breaching the monster’s barrier and killing it.

Yue and Emily share some words when Yue is shot in the back by something emerging from a portal in the floor. The blast shreds part of her clothing but causes Emily to dissolve in to flakes.

Thoughts/Review:

Man, in a very real sense, this is a pretty dark chapter though I do believe that all of those who’ve been “killed” will be brought back. Regardless, for now they are dead and the impacts of their deaths will no doubt cause a change of feelings for all those involved. As some of you have speculated, I too believe that all of Ala Alba combined with the sports girls will shift from attempting to flee to Earth to fighting back these dark forces on the Magic World.

That’s not to say that Akamatsu-sensei made things really dark. He injected some humor and touched the Natsumi-Kotaro relationship thread, which was sweet and amusing. If Akamatsu-sensei keeps the group split up for a while, I hope Natsumi’s feelings get explored more.

He also injected some sweetness with Ako’s words with Tosaka and some humor as well when Akira realized what Kaede was about to do with Pira and Chin. *lol*

Also, Yue’s and Emily’s final moments were touching. Maybe this will be the shock that jolts Yue’s memories back for good. Maybe.

Interesting that the summoned creature that targeted Emily initially held off the attack from Mana. I don’t think that she expected it to have that kind of a barrier though she eventually broke it (even though it wasn’t shown onscreen, I suspect Mana may have pulled out some barrier-breaking bullets from her ammo dump). Still, now that Mana has accepted the job from Shiori-Asuna, I expect her to continue to go all out in the fight as it continues.

Still, after Mana took out the first monster, I do find it interesting that a second one emerged to finish the job of eliminating Emily. I don’t know if this is the case or not, but it does seem that Negi’s comrades are being specifically targeted. Surely Fate doesn’t think that by killing the friends Ala Alba has made that it would make them want to go home faster, does he? If not Fate, then Kurt maybe?

Nodoka is alone now, so it will be interesting to see what Akamatsu-sensei does with her. Does she snap and develop a new power-ability? Seems cliched but it is possible. Is she kept as a hostage? Also possible. Is she let go? Also possible. Is she turned into stone? I think that’s very possible. We’ll see though.

A lot of stuff going on and a good chapter even if darker with so many characters being taken out of the picture. Still, Akamatsu-sensei does a good job of not letting things get too dark.