Mahou Sensei Negima! 237

1
[Insert text: Breezing through the preliminaries!!]
[Label: Directly after the match from last time]
Announcer: And it's an easy win for the Nagi-Kojirou team!! // They've earned themselves a place in the tournament proper!!
Ako: Nagi-sa~~~n! // Congratulations on making it into the tournament!
Natsumi: [aside]good goin', Koji![/aside]
Kojirou: [aside]not that I actually did anything...[/aside]
Negi: Ako-san... // I'll have you free in no time. You just hang in there, okay?
Ako: B - But are you sure you'll be okay in the tournament...?

2
Ako: I've heard that the tournament proper will be full of fighters on a completely different level to the people you've been going up against so far... for you to actually win...
Negi: Don't worry. / I'll win, and that's all there is to it.
[Mahou Sensei Negima!]
[Chapter 237: A Legendary Emergency Entry!!]
[Insert text: After everything he's made it through so far, Negi is filled with confidence! / [aside](for the moment...)[/aside]]
Flashback!Rakan: ...Now, kid, it's certainly true that you've become stronger.

3
Flashback!Rakan: Incredibly so, considering how little time you've had. / [aside]though admittedly, it's all because you had such an incredible master...[/aside] // You may well have exceeded Nagi already in terms of sheer speed of growth.
Flashback!Negi: R... Really...?! // [aside]wow...!♡[/aside]
Flashback!Rakan: That said, you're still a long way from being a match for Fate.
Flashback!Negi: Don't I know it...
Flashback!Rakan: Well, that's only to be expected. He was the best of the best that they had. Even Nagi himself had a hard time against him. // I mean, you saw the movie, right?
Flashback!Negi: ...The movie... // About that movie... It raised a lot of questions I'd like to ask...
Flashback!Rakan: Hmmm? / Free storytime is over and done with, you know?
Flashback!Negi: Yes, I know... // ...If what was shown in that movie was true... / ...then the Twilight Imperial Princess... that is to say, Asuna-san... must still be a crucially-important "key" as far as this world is concerned.
Flashback!Rakan: Hmm?

4
Flashback!Negi: Which means that whatever Fate may be planning right now... Asuna-san is in danger! / It's Asuna-san we should be worrying about right now...
Flashback!Rakan: We just got out of that last scuffle, remember? I doubt they're gonna try anything at this point; they'll at least want to get their defenses back to full-power first. / The girlie's safe as long as she stays in the city. / [aside]and if you're still worried about her even so, I'll put a special guard on her myself; you leave it to me.[/aside] // What you really need to be worrying about is the tournament right before you. // You need to win that tournament to free Ako-chan and the others, don't ya?
Flashback!Negi: Ahh...
Flashback!Rakan: First rule of battle - focus first and foremost on dealing with the immediate situation right in front of you. If you can't even win the tournament, how can you hope to beat Fate?
Flashback!Negi: (...True enough....) // ...... // Understood! / [aside]I'll leave it to you![/aside]
Flashback!Rakan: All right!!! / [aside]that's my apprentice![/aside] // Although as you are right now, I'd say winning that tournament should be easy as pie.
Flashback!Negi: Huh~~~~?! You really think so?

5
Flashback!Rakan: A~~ll right, I think it's time to lay things out using my own personal strength ranking system again! // [aside]good work, Chisame-kun.[/aside]
Flashback!Chisame: [aside]don't just use me for these things![/aside]
Flashback!Negi: Ah, it's been a while...
Flashback!Rakan: Now then... before, you were down below that shadow-user... / ...but under the watchful eye of the ultimate mentor, me, you've been training like hell, and your base strength is now at least on a level with his, if not higher.
Flashback!Negi: (Whaa?)
[Labels (bottom to top): Cat / Meo~w // Chisame // Old Negi // Kagetarou // New Negi]
NewNegi: Here I go!
Flashback!Rakan: Add in your "Form of Blackest Night", or just plain "Dark Mode"... / and your strength shoots up a full fifty percent!!
[Labels: Kagetarou // New Negi // Dark Mode Negi]
Flashback!Negi: Ahhhh!
Flashback!Rakan: And then activate your "Magia Erebia Armationem" ability... / ...and your strength doubles!!
[Labels: Old Negi]
NewNegi: Here I go!
[Labels: Dark Mode Negi // Magia Erebea Armationem Activated // TWICE THAT!!]
Flashback!Negi: Whaaaaaaa?! // W... Wow...! I've become that strong... / [aside]about four times stronger...[/aside]
Flashback!Rakan: Incidentally, by our estimates last time, Fate is up here - about 1.5 times that.
[Labels: Magie Erebea Activated // TWICE THAT!! // Fate]
Flashback!Negi: Of course...!

6
Flashback!Rakan: Now, I had figured that you might be able to overcome that kind of gap in strength... / ...by making effective use of your Armationem's ability to augment itself by "emitting" your various different abilities...
Flashback!Chamo: [aside]it is a pretty incredible power-up if you think about it, though...[/aside]
Flashback!Chisame: [aside]This stuff's practically exponential... not that there hasn't been enough risk along the way...[/aside]
[Charts:]
Armationem
AGILITAS FULMINIS
Magic Equipped: Jovis Tempestas Fulguriens
Offence: 1800
Defence: 800
Mobility: 4800
Specialised for mobility / Low defensive capacity
Direct attacks possess an electrical nature capable of electrocuting or knocking out an enemy; provides an atmospheric barrier against airborne attacks.
//
Armationem
Sim Fabricatus Ab Incendo
Magic Equipped: Incendium Gehennae
Offence: 3800
Defence: 2200
Mobility: 1200
Specialised for attack and defence
Direct attacks are augmented with dark flames; absorbs the enemy's magical power.
[/Charts]
Flashback!Rakan: ...However, it looks like the man himself may have far exceeded my original estimations of his ability.
[Labels: Ryoumen Sukuna no Kami // Fate]
Flashback!Chamo: [aside]doubled again...[/aside]
Flashback!Chisame: [aside]what kind of inflation is that?![/aside]
Flashback!Negi: Ahhh...
Flashback!Rakan: Still, the fighting tournament should be easy!
Flashback!Negi: !
Flashback!Rakan: That shadow-user is another guy who was around back during the way. He may have some kind of trick up his sleeve... // ...but he's not gonna be on the same level as Fate. // Now you go win that tournament and take the prize. That's an order.
Flashback!Negi: ...!

7
Flashback!Rakan: Hey, as long there aren't any extreme developments, there's basically no chance of you losing. // We'll think about Fate afterwards. Got that?
Flashback!Negi: Yes, Rakan-san!
Negi: (All right...!)
Ako: Ahh... Nagi-san, is something wrong?
Negi: Ah - no, not at all, I'm fine! That was easy! And taking the title will be easy, too! // You just relax and wait, all right, Ako-san?
Ako: O... // Okay!
Kotarou: Hey, Nagi, that Kagetarou guy's match is about to start!
Negi: Oh! / Coming!

8
Announcer: This is the final of the D-Block preliminaries! And on the one hand we have Kagetarou of Bosporus!
Kotarou: Him...
Negi: Yeah.
Ako: "Him"? Who is he, exactly?
Natsumi: His outfit is soooo creepy.
Kotarou: That's the guy who blasted Nagi's right arm clean off.
Natsumi: Whaaaaa?!! // Aaahhhhh... so he's a bad guy...! A REALLY bad guy...! // Now you mention it, he does look like a bad guy, too... scary... scaryyyy...
Kotarou: Bad guy? What're you on about? You can be such an idiot, Natsumi-san.
Natsumi: Wha - ?! / [aside]that pisses me off![/aside]
Kotarou: When two men fight one another, only complete dumbasses bring "right" and "wrong" into the equation. / The only things that exist between two men in battle are "difference in position", and "debt and repayment".

9
Negi: ......
Natsumi: I don't get WHAT the heck you're talking about! If a guy cuts people's arms off, that makes him the bad guy for sure! // [aside]also, your sunglasses look stupid! I hate them![/aside]
Kotarou: [aside]like I give a crap![/aside] // Fine, fine, it's not like I care whether you get it or not!
Ako: Is your right arm all right now...?
Negi: Yes, yes, it's fine, nothing to worry about.
People: [aside]hey... isn't that Nagi? / What?! No way...[/aside]
Negi: (Kagetarou-san... // It was thanks to my fight with you that I met Rakan-san and was able to become strong. // I may actually owe you some thanks. // However... // If we must face one another in battle here, then I will show no mercy!!!)
Announcer: Now then - up until now, Kagetarou has been causing a stir winning his matches one after another all on his own. // But here, in the final of his preliminaries, he's finally registered a partner! And what a partner this is... // It's a man who's been out of the public eye for ten years now!
Negi: Wha...?
Announcer: The one and only legendary mercenary swordsman!! / The ultimate gladiator who won his own freedom!! A leading player in ending the Great War!

10
Announcer: From Ala Rubra! // The Man of a Thousand Blades! // It's Ja~~~ck... // RAKA~~~~~~~~~N!!!
Negi: Wha...?
Kotarou: WHAT?!!

11
Announcer: It looks like this surprise entry has caught even his opponents off-guard!
Combatants: [aside]N... No way... // Rakan... as in THE Rakan?![/aside] // Hold it one moment! We never heard anything about this! // Ahhhh... D - Do you think we can get his autograph~?! // You idiot!!
Natsumi: Isn't that man Ne - Nagi's master...?
Kotarou: What the hell's going on, Nagi?!
Negi: I - I don't have the faintest idea - !
Kotarou: With him in the contest, surely we don't stand a chance?!
Negi: Ah - ! // I know... it has to be just some imitator, a lookalike! / [aside]like me...[/aside]
Kotarou: A fake?!
Negi: Yes! That would make perfect...
Announcer: INCIPITE!!
Rakan: Hunhh! // Hahh! // Haahhhhhh...!
Combatants: Ngh... // [aside]I, ah, really would like an -[/aside]

12
Rakan: RAKAN FOR-THE-HELL-OF-IT RIGHT-HAND PUNCH!!
People: Ahh!
Natsumi: Uwahh!

13
Rakan: Hey, no worries... I was holdin' back. / [aside]I left ya alive, at least.[/aside]
Kagetarou: [aside]holding... back?[/aside]
Negi/Kotarou: (IT'S REALLY HIM~~~!)
Kotarou: [aside]no mistaking that insane power or that idiocy... // He calls that holding back...? From what, turning them to dust?[/aside] // What now, Nagi...?
Announcer: And Rakan takes the win! / The cheers are practically splitting the stage for the legendary hero's revival~~~!
Negi: (Rakan-san...)
Chisame: What the heck is he doing in the tournament?!
Kotarou: That's what we're about to ask him!
Negi: What on Earth is this about, Rakan-san?!

14
Rakan: Hm? // Whaddaya mean?
Negi: Wh... Why is Kagetarou-san...?
Rakan: Oh, yeah! Ol' Kage... Thing is, while you were out cold after this guy blew your arm off, I got to drinking with him, and he was actually my kinda guy! / He's actually a pretty nice ol' feller when ya get talkin' to him!
Negi: Whaaaa~?! / [aside]why have I heard none of this?![/aside] // No, forget that...! // Why have you entered yourself in the tournament? / Just this morning you told me to go and take an easy victory...
Rakan: Did I ever say I wasn't entering?♪
Negi: Oh, come on~!

15
Negi: You entering the tournament isn't just an extreme development, it's a super-mega-ultra-extreme development!! / [aside]this changes EVERYTHING!![/aside] / How can I possibly win the tournament now?!
Rakan: Whoa, whoa... you're awful quick to give up now, aren't you? / I'm disappointed in you, pupil of mine.
Kotarou: ...O - Oh, I get it! This is like a final exam from master to student or something, right...?!
Chamo: O - Ohhhh, I see...
Chisame: O - Of course! Like a final ceremony of initiation... // Y - You entered the tournament so you can test just how much Negi has grown, is that is? / And then even if you win the match, you can just hand the winnings over to us... / [aside]this sort of thing happens a lot...[/aside]
Rakan: Whaaaaaaa? // Why the hell would I do that?! If I win, the winnings are damn well MINE!!
Negi: Whaaaaa~~~?! / [aside]but then, Ako-san and the others...[/aside]
Rakan: Hey, with the abilities you guys have on your side, I'm sure you could find some other way to earn yourselves that kind of money, couldn't ya? / [aside]you've got that Haruna chick an' all...[/aside]
Negi: But...!
Rakan: And if you don't wanna do that, then you'll just have to beat me, won't ya!
Negi: This is crazy - !
Rakan: Come on... just calm down and think this through, will ya? / Kid.

16
Rakan: Look... / You wanted to settle things with Fate, am I right? // Well, I'm Nagi's eternal rival. / And Fate's lost to Nagi, which puts them on about the same level. // You figured out what that means yet, hmmmm? // If you go around saying you can't hope to beat me... what's that say about your chances with Fate? / Hell, what's it say about your chances of chasing down ol' Nagi?
Negi: !

17
Negi: B... But Rakan-san, you and Fate are completely different! / Your strength has an almost... kind of "otherworldly" kind of feel to it! I mean, even my father...
Rakan: "Otherworldly"? The hell's that? There ain't no difference. Honestly, you just don't get it at all, do you, little apprentice? / ...Listen up, kid. // What you're after... is "true strength", right?
Negi: !
Rakan: Fate... // Eva... // And Nagi, too... // Look at me. // I'm your gateway to that grand stage... // ...Kid.

18
Negi: B - But Rakan-san...! / [aside]it's all very well saying that, but...![/aside]
Rakan: Enough pointless chatter. // Let's do this. // Negi.
[Insert text: Rakan goes completely and utterly, no-holds-barred serious! The top of this new wall to conquer is too high to even see...?!]