Cardcaptor’s Blog

Published in Shounen Magazine 35-36 (2006)

While hurrying for the root of the World Tree, Negi asks Kamo as to why they are going there. Kamo explains that, according to the 60+ years of data collected by “Loving the World Tree to Our Best of Ability Society” (whose website Kamo asked Chisame to check back 4-5 chapters before), every 22 years the World Tree gives off more light than usual, and on such a year it would continue to radiate until 7-8 days after Mahora Festival. The same thing happens this year (2004). Therefore, Kamo, gambling on the possibility that there is still some magical energy left at the root of the World Tree, decides to lead the Negi Party there, and he’s right. Cassiopeia starts to work again.

Illumination of the World Tree vs. Time.
Data provided by the SOS-dan Loving the World Tree to Our Best of Ability Society of Mahora University

The World Tree’s root still gives off some light, just as Kamo predicts.

There was much rejoicing, but that doesn’t last too long. Suddenly, the light begins to fade, and some sticky liquid is deposited on Chisame’s head.

The World Tree light retreats in f34r of Asuna’s hip power.

Bukkake!

And the source of the slimy liquid is Negi’s fapping a dragon Yue and Nodoka saw in Book 8 (if I remember correctly).

S, S, S, Spoo!!! D, D, D, Dragon!!!

Of course, the party change their gears and flee in fear of the winged lizard. They go through a passageway into which the dragon cannot enter, but that doesn’t mean that they are far from danger as the dragon attacks them with a breath of fire. Negi saves the day with his Fuujin-kekkai spell.

Fuujin-kekkai. (Sorry, I don’t know Latin.)

Meanwhile, Setsuna and Kaeda are still fighting the two teachers. They seem to hold out pretty well even despite being bombarded with moves that cause big explosions. Touko becomes worried that Setsuna’s and Kaede’s defense might go on forever, so she decides to end it once and for all…

Touko’s surprise attack.

But the Kaede that she attacks turns out to be a Shikigami created by Setsuna: the real one has already left for the world tree a while ago. Receiving a communication from Negi earlier, Setsuna then uses her Pactio card to teleport herself to her Magister Magi.

“You got pwned, n00b.”
“As I said earlier, my goal is just to keep you occupied. Well then, pardon my leave.”

Being a good teacher, Negi gives Setsuna a big assignment right at the moment the teleportation completes:

Negi: “Can you beat that thing”
Setsuna: “Huh!?”
Setsuna: “A western dragon? It seems pretty strong, huh? Even I have the equipments, it’s probably still…”
Setsuna: “And it might take many days before I can beat it, a big project indeed.”
Setsuna: “This is the first time i see something like this too…”
Negi: “Well, then let’s scram!”
Kamo: “Even she can’t handle it?”

(Yes, Setsuna’s expression is just priceless.)

Escaping the dragon and following the World Tree’s fading light, the Negi Pary reaches a room with a ruin seeming to function as an aggregator of the World Tree’s magical energy. They rushes for the center of the ruin, where magical energy materializes as balls of light, with the dragon just right behind their necks.

The ruin under the World Tree.

Reaching the central part, Cassiopeia starts to tick again. Kaede suddenly appears behind Negi, ninja-style. When Negi is about to activate Cassiopeia, he hesitates a little as he recalls Takamichi’s telling him that his father might side with Chao, and wonders if returning the world to what it was is the right thing to do. Finally, with Kamo’s warning of the approaching dragon, Negi decides that going back in time is the best thing to do at the moment. He then pushes Cassiopeia’s button, the act which summons the wind for dramatic effect and, more importantly, PANTY SHOTS!!!

*Click*

And this is what you get… (Haa… Haa…)

Akamatsu-sensei, why do you have to make Setsuna wear sports tights?

And off they go to the last day of Mahora Festival…

Maciano’s 12 Sisters Sanjou!
Toki wo kakeru shoujou-tachi
Negi Party goes back in time.

Impression

Good! Lots of actions and Indiana Jones feel in this chapter. Dragon! Explosions! Panty shots!

A question that comes up to my attention, though, is how Akamatsu-sensei will handle the time-related phenomena in the story. It’s evident from the past chapters that there is no “parallel universes” in Negima’s world. Time is a single continuum: when people time travel in Mahora Festival, they meet themselves in the past. If that’s the case, then doesn’t Negi manage to prevent Chao’s plan in the first place? If Negi’s attempt to stop Chao’s plan succeeds as we might as well expect, why did he get arrested 3-4 chapters ago? Or does it mean that Negi will fail? Oh well, I think I’d better not think about it too much. It’s just a manga anyway.

Vocabs