Mahou Sensei Negima! 217

1
Mahou Sensei Negima!
Period 217: The Time To Face The Darkness Has Come!
[insert text: How is Negi supposed to react to Ako's feelings for "Nagi"...?!]
[Text: Ostia Grand Arena]
Negi: Ch - // CHISAME-SAAAAAAAAN~~~!! // It - it - it - it's terrible - ! // I - ah - Ako-san just said she likes me - I mean - not me - she likes Nagi - the transformed version of me - but that means she likes me -

2
Negi: Guahh?!
Chisame: Oh, calm down, you babbling brat. // I told you already - call me "Chibi-Chiu" when I'm in this form. // ...So, what's the problem? // ...Oh, I see. So you found out about how Ako feels. // She couldn't tell "Nagi", but she went and told "Negi"... / [aside]well, ain't that just a beautiful thing...[/aside]
Negi: So - so you're telling me - / It's true - ? Ako-san really has fallen for my transformed alter-ego of "Nagi"...?
Chisame: Yeah.
Negi: Y - You knew all along?!
Chisame: 'Course I knew it. I'm more surprised that you didn't notice, what with everything that's been going on. // Well, I guess you are only ten years old, after all... but jeez, it's enough to make a girl cry.

3
Negi: Ah - ehm - what exactly should I -
Chisame: Just forget she said anything.
Negi: Whaaaaaaa!?! // B - But you know, this is about Ako-san's feelings and -
Chisame: You think a ten-year-old kid like you can understand the heart of a fourteen-year-old girl in love?
Negi: ......!
Chisame: Still, maybe "forget it" is going a bit far. You should probably give her feelings some thought. / But you don't make a move, all right? And if Ako-san goes and confesses to you or anything... // You be a proper gentleman and turn her down.
Negi: T - Turn her down...?
Chisame: It's the only option you've got. Ako's a tough enough girl, she can recover from a little rejection, so don't you worry. / But...

4
Chisame: The one thing you mustn't do is let her find out who you really are. // That would be a serious blow to her. / Ookouchi agrees with me on that one.
Negi: Akira-san said that...
Chisame: Now then, Negi-sensei. // What exactly is our priority right now?
Negi: To ensure we get every one of our group safely back to the real world.
Chisame: You got that right. / So you just lock this little problem up somewhere in your head for the moment. Ain't nothing you can do about it anyway.
Negi: Chisame-san...
Chisame: That's enough. I've given you my advice. I'm not your mother or anything.
Akira: (Negi-kun... so you found out...)

5
Negi: (Ako-san...) // Nnnghhh! // (I'm sorry, Ako-san. Right now... I have to concentrate on getting everyone out of here!!)
Racan: Hey there, kiddy! Heard you got yourself a little admirer, huh?! Man, sure is tough bein' popular, now, ain't it! Wahahahah!

6
Negi: R - Racan-san?!
Racan: Took a peek at a picture, and all. That Ako-chan... pretty cute, too, ain't she!
Negi: Ch - Chisame-san - did you tell him...?!
Chisame: N - No! / [aside]well, okay, I kind of did, be were talking about arrangements, and after our little talk earlier, it just kind of slipped out... / you know, this old guy can be a lot sharper than he looks when it comes to things like this... ah, no... I mean...[/aside]
Racan: Hmmmmmmm?! What's this, now? You've got a full eight of 'em?! // Now, why didn't you tell me that, you pervy little kid!
Negi: Whaa - ? My Pactio Cards - / [aside]when did you - ?![/aside]
Racan: And every one of 'em a cutie, too! Good goin' there~! / [aside]ahh, these are the girls from yesterday...[/aside]
Chisame: [aside]Sorry... / it's not like I'm exactly big on this stuff, so...[/aside]
Racan: Man, I always thought you were nothing like him, a real tightwad, but looks like you really are his son after all! // So? Which one of 'em are you really goin' for, huh...?
Negi: What's that supposed to mean?!

7
Racan: This one?! // Is it her?! // Or could it be this one?! // Ohhhh? This one, huh~? Your face just went all red, y'know...? // [aside]nyeheheh~!♡[/aside]
Negi: No - I - I - I - I'm not - I mean - !
Chisame: [aside]what are you, primary-school kids?[/aside]
Racan: Oh, and I'll be damned... if it isn't little Chisame-jouchan on this one, eheh!♡ / Oh, I see... so that's how it is, now, is it~~~~? Muahahahahahah!
Chisame: Why, you - ! I - !
Racan: Oh, you can deny it all you like, but you still kissed him, now, didn't ya~! Mwaaah~~~! / [aside]a big fat one~! // eheheheh![/aside] // Now, then... // Try saying "Actus Noctis Erebeae".
[TN: Okay, a little help here >_< I'm no Latin expert (that's assuming this is all Latin; I've seen Greek in Negima before, too), and I'm pretty sure I've only got one of those words right (Noctis), two maximum. The kana are "Akutusu Nokutisu Erebeae". The Japanese equivalent text given (anybody's guess as to whether it matches or not, but at least one word seems to) is "Form of Night and Darkness".]
Racan: The festival starts tomorrow; I wanna see this in advance.
Negi: Right. // ......

8
Chisame: (Hm...)
Racan: (Huh... This is...) // No good, no good!! // You haven't got it at all.

9
Racan: I guess even a genius like yourself couldn't pull it off in a single month. // It's still unstable; wouldn't hold up at all in real combat.
Negi: ......
Racan: Hahah, don't get yourself all worried now. // Heheheh... but still, you sure have got an awful lot to worry about, kiddy. / That girl after your heart, the bounty on your head, keeping everyone else safe, enemies lurking in the shadows... // ...Oh, and the "princess".
Negi: The "princess"... by that, do you mean Asuna-san...?
Racan: You gave her that medicine just like I told you to, right? Then things should be fine. / That problem's as good as solved.

10
Negi: Racan-san! // That's not what I mean...
Racan: You're just trying to get everyone home safely, right? / Then you don't need to know any more than that.
Negi: Stop trying to pull the woll over my eyes!! // What does Asuna-san... have to do with my father, and this world, and everything else?!
Racan: Your'e not telling me you've never noticed, are you? Just how special that girl is... / She has Magic Cancel, an incredibly rare special ability... // Her parents aren't around... The Konoe clan and Takamichi have been keeping watch over her since she was a kid... / You're not telling me a clever kid like you never thought that was all a little odd?
Negi: Racan-san!!

11
Sayo: Negi-sensei~~~~!! // Negi-sensei!
Negi: Sayo-san?!
Sayo: Yes, it's me, Sayo~~! // Honya-san is in big trouble! / Asakura-san's been chasing her down, with her artifact, but she just sent me an emergency message...!
Negi: What?!
Sayo: Honya-san was on her way here to Ostia with her friends, but... // Fifty kilometres east of the city, she was attacked by some really powerful bounty hunters!!
[Text: Fifty kilometres east of Ostia]

12
Dude: You all right, Jou-chan?
Nodoka: Y - Yes!
Dude: How's it look, Kris?
Kris: Not too good... // They're just raining down those Sagitta Magica on us. And from some serious distance! They're not like the weaklings we've dealt with before. // We're talking some real powerful magic-users, and at least two of them. This could be bad...
Aisha: (Found them!)
Kris: Aisha!
Aisha: I've managed to find them with my long-distance sight! // Distance: 3000. As far as I can see, there are four of them... // There are two monsters with them - sandworm-type things. // This... doesn't look good.

13
Aisha: Those black outfits... I've seen them before. / It's that bounty-hunter association who have been making a real name for themselves down in Sylchis - Canis Niger!! // They're famed for their heartless cruelty... we can't beat them! We should run... // ?! // Aaahhh - !
Kris: Aisha?! / AISHA!
Negi: We have to go and save her!
Chisame: But how are we meant to get there?!
Negi: Of course... / I don't even have my staff, since I lost it back then...
Haruna: Transportation's no problem!!!
Negi: !

14-15
Haruna: Hey there, Negi-ku~~~n!♡
Negi: Haruna-san!!
Chisame: Whoa, whoa, what the heck is that thing?!
Haruna: Like it? I got it second-hand!♪ / [aside]it's a goldfish-type. cute, huh?[/aside] // But yeah, you know... ever since I got here, I've been picking up cash here and there with my many talents~!♡
KuFei: Negi-bouzu!
Negi: Master Ku!!
KuFei: Take this!
Negi: My staff!!
Chamo: Hey there!
Negi: Chamo-kun!!
Chamo: Yeah, I went and found your staff for ya! / [aside]so thank me already, Aniki![/aside]

16
Kazumi: You go on ahead, Negi-kun!!
Chachamaru: We'll catch up with you afterwards!!
Negi: Right!!
Racan: Hey, kiddy-boy!! // ...You gonna use it?
Negi: Yes!
Racan: Be careful you don't overuse it, though, all right? As you are now... // It could suck you in.
Negi: ......

17
Negi: I'll be fine!
Chachamaru: It looks like you're up against a professional mage society specialising in bounty-hunting. / The situation is urgent. / Please, be careful.
Negi: Understood!!
Chisame: Hey - Sensei!!
Negi: I'll be back, Chisame-san!!
Chisame: ......

18
Negi: (Nodoka-san... // You just hang in there!!)
Tosaka: ... // (I knew it... he really is...! // And that man, too... / ...That's Thousand-Blades...!!)
[insert text: Negi's cover is blown, and he needs to keep tight control over his darkness abilities... but right now, all that matters is saving Nodoka!!]
[bottom text: Next issue, Negima will be taking a break so that the author can collect data. // See you again in Issue 31 (on sale July 2nd)!!]