Wakaranai

This is a really exciting chapter because it really feels like that we’re finally teetering on the brink of a major plot revelation. We’re not there yet, but pretty soon this manga is going to deliver a real answer to some of the burning questions behind the vast and convoluted story. Until now, and that includes this chapter, Ken Akamatsu has demonstrated an amazing ability to expand and complicate the epic story behind the history of the magic world, the past of Nagi and comrades, and Negi-and-cohort’s present struggle against enigmatic Fate. With every flashback he manages to raise new questions and ambiguities but, and this is the thing that really impresses me about his storytelling ability, it never feels like he’s going off on a tangent or unnecessarily trying to drag it out. Every time he adds new mysteries to the story he also inches the separate threads every closer to making sense as a single, coherent body. Over the course of the magic world arc we’ve gradually been able to focus in on a few key holes in the plot, questions that would link everything together and which, even now, threaten to put a crushing spin on the story. When a true revelation is dropped it should be really satisfying.

There’s not a lot to talk about in this chapter other than the plot. There’s little in the way of golden moe moments or fanservice highlights. It’s one of those chapters with a deeper tone than your average Negima fare, which is usually the mark of a Nagi flashback chapter. This chapter initially felt like it was actually explaining things, but by the end of it I realise it had left me much more confused than ever before (and I had to go back and reread it to try and extract sense out of every snippet of dialogue). For 18 pages worth, Ken Akamatsu really packs in a hell of a lot of conflicting motivations and moral dilemmas. Now that the Megalo Mesembria Senate has entered into the mix Negima has gained a new edge of intrigue and espionage. This chapter is our best look into princess/Queen Arika’s perspective yet, and it’s a very interesting world of politics and warfare. Compared to the (from what we’ve seen) simple masculine heroics of Nagi and ALA RUBRA, Arika’s decisions as her kingdom’s leader are fascinating in a more intellectual way. We don’t really know specifics yet but this chapter suggests that:

Arika made a decision that would partially save her kingdom, but which would bring ruin shortly after. In other words, she gained time in which she could evacuate as many citizens as possible from the sky-plateaus. We know now that she knew a disaster was coming and that she decided to take responsibility for it, giving her the title “Queen of Calamity”. I like the idea that she made an honourable sacrifice, and the idea that the Megalo Mesembria Senate was behind the scenes even back then, pulling strings, is even more interesting.

The most confusing element to the chapter was the death of Zect and his dialogue with Negi.

It is impossible for a hero of war to shape the future.
In the end you were unable to change anything.
I suggest that you ask yourself now, is humanity worth throwing away your own life to save?
Humanity is beyond saving .. hero, know my 2006 years of despair. Farewell.

Zect has had very little mention but the fact that Nagi calls him master suggests he had some kind of significance. His death and final words are kind of mysterious. Was he really a traitor/villain-in-disguise or was he possessed by something or someone to deliver that message to Nagi. What does he mean when he says Nagi was unable to change anything? The chapter casts doubt on the triumph of Ala Rubra on that day - things went a little too smoothly and here we have someone saying that they failed. By throwing away his life, I wonder if Zect is referring to what’s happened to Nagi - the reason he disappeared. I really hope the next chapter explains what happened here a little better because it’s the most confusing part of the chapter. Interestingly, Ku:nel seemed to know the circumstances behind Zect’s “passing away” and stopped Nagi from sharing. There’s definitely some important piece to the puzzle that’s missing here (as usual!).

Other than the plot, we got some nice character development for Arika and a good look at her relationship with Nagi. There’s some pretty funny flirting between the two of them, and talk of eloping. Given their older age compared with Negi and his companions, their relationship is a bit more mature (especially from Arika’s side of things), and there’s this real sense of drama between them. They are drawn together but pulled apart, Arika’s sense of duty to her country is torn by her love for her knight. It’s really compelling, and I can’t wait for the next chapter. Maybe Negima’s present-day romantic stories will eventually develop to be as interesting as this. I suppose we can’t forget to mention the reference to Asuna in this chapter too. Her past is still somewhat mysterious but a lot of it can be inferred from the many comments about her that have been made. Here it says she was sealed using the power of the entire fleet. It seems she is the cause of the disaster that will soon unfold and brand Arika the Queen of Calamity. Her magic negation powers really fit in well with this. Again, the answer to this whole thing feels like it’s on the tip of my tongue but I can’t quite say it..

I was rereading an earlier volume today (vo,ume 6), published by UK company “Tanoshimi”, and in the translation notes it has an interesting interpretation of Fate’s name:

Fate Averruncus
The name of the “white-haired youth”. The roman god of aversion, “Averruncus” is said to help in avoiding calamity, while also bringing forth good fortune. In other references, Averruncus is known as the God of childbirth.

His name certainly has some interesting connotations! It really reinforces the theory that Fate actually has goals that aren’t explicitly evil. He is likely trying to save humanity in some fashion. Whether that’s destroying one dimension to preserve another, or something else entirely remains to be seen. I’m going to go crazy if some of the answers to this massive plot aren’t shared soon!