Curse of the Devil Z

Kazumi Asakura decides to check on her cousin Akio Asakura. When she learns he drives a blue Nissan Fairlady Z S30 that's tainted with a dark past, Kazumi becomes concerned for him, while Negi senses a dark and frightening presence within the car. Takes place after the Mahora Festival.

Disclaimer: Maho Sensei Negima is property of Ken Akamatsu and all related publishers. Wangan Midnight is property of Michiharu Kusunoki, Kodanshita, OB Planning, and Namco.

Chapter 5: Those Who Pursue the Devil Z Part 2

(Monday night, RGO Tuning Shop)

"Wrench!" said Rikako Ota, who happened to be in a prone position underneath a pink Nissan Silvia held about a foot off the floor by a jack rig directly above a dynamometer.

"Here!" replied Madoka Kugimiya, handing the said tool to Rikako.

"Thanks!" replied Rikako in return as she continued her work on her car.

"So how long have you been into these things?" asked Madoka.

"Oh, about 3 years" replied Rikako.

"Soka" murmured Madoka. After hearing those wild stories of street racing and the two models Reina Akikawa and Makoto Morishita from her fellow cheerleaders, Madoka somehow decided to dive in to the world of these high speed cars. She asked around a bit, hearing this and that from her other classmates, particularly the wild rides from Yuna, Ako, and Kazumi. Then a call to one of her relatives revealed that a family friend named Kazuo Ota ran a tuning shop called RGO near Mahora Academy. There she met Kazuo's daughter and assistant Rikako, and decided to be an apprentice. Though the work was hard (she winced at the oil stains), she soon had a good appreciation of what makes a car go fast. "I admit I thought it weird for girls to be into this at first."

"Tell me about it" replied Rikako. "My male classmates from highschool called me a tomboy because of this."

"Oh please. I get treated like a guy sometimes because of my voice, getting called Kugimin and stuff" ranted Madoka. "So when I met Reina Akikawa and Makoto Morishia and learned about their cars I was like 'What the heck?'"

"Yeah. Met them a few times when I visited the other shops." said Rikako. "Okay, that should do it" she said, sliding off from underneath the car. "Could you hit that switch over there please?"

"Sure" replied Madoka, walking over to a control box and pressing a button, causing the Silvia to be lowered onto the dynamometer with its rear wheels resting on a heavy roller.

"Okay, let's start it up" said Rikako, opening the car's door and getting on the driver's seat, then starting it up, before revving it a few times, then shifting into gear and simulating an actual drive, with the rear wheels spinning on the weighted roller.

"Wow. It sure sounds different from before" remarked Madoka.

"Sure does, doesn't it?" replied Rikako. "With the engine running more smoothly, we should get more power out of it - Yes!" she exclaimed, apparently delighted with the readings on a laptop she had with her.

"Okay" replied Madoka.

"Well, were done here. Wanna go out?"

"Hmm, okay. Got nothing else to do."

"Okay then, I'll close up shop then we're off" said Rikako. She then put away all the tools and equipment with Madoka helping her before both changed out of work clothes and cleaned themselves up, then they hopped in to the Silvia and drove off into the city. They stopped by a family restaurant for dinner (the same one Yuna and Keiichiro were the previous day), then took off again. As they reached an exit ramp that led to the Wangan, Rikako then had a fiendish idea. "Say, Madoka?"

"Yeah?"

"Wanna see how fast this car can go?" asked Rikako with the "evil eye" look.

"Eh?" gulped Madoka.

(BGM: Cause You're Different)

Rikako steered through the ramp, then, as they hit the Wangan, she shifted gears, and gunned it.

"EEP!" gasped Madoka, hanging on for dear life as the Silvia barrelled its way along the infamous Wangan, swerving lanes to overtake the slower cars. "RIKAKO!?!?" she yelled.

Rikako just giggled. "Sorry? I didn't hear that." she said sarcastically.

"WILL YOU SLOW DOWN!?!?"

"Relax! I do this all the time."

"No way!" said Madoka with a shaky voice.

"Besides, I'm just getting warmed up."

"Mou!"

"Well, look who's here." said Rikako, eying a white Nissan Skyline GT-R up ahead, running only slightly slower than the Silvia.

"Eh?" piped Madoka. "Hey, I've seen that car before. Wait isn't that..."

"Reina Akikawa's car" said Rikako. "Let's take a closer look" she said as she manouvered her Silvia to line up side by side with the Skyline, on the latter's right.

"Yeah! There she is on the driver's seat. And that's Sakurako with her!" exclaimed Madoka. "That girl!" She looked at the Skyline's passenger, who looked back in surprise, then waved. The driver looked at Rikako and smirked.

"Oh a diehard fan of Reina eh?" remarked Rikako. Then Rikako made a weird hand signal to Reina, who acted as if in thought, then smiled. "Well, time to see who's Queen of the Road!"

"HA!? Wait a minute you're not..." said Madoka, before Rikako gunned it again. "KYAAAA!!!"

The two cars soon burned rubber weaving through the traffic along the Wangan. The Silvia was ahead of the Skyline at the moment, with the Skyline merely keeping pace. As they crossed the main bridge, the cars jumped, startling Madoka and Sakurako.

"RIKAKOOOOOO!!!!" hollered Madoka.

"Come 'on! This is fun!" joked Rikako.

"YOU CALL THIS FUN!?!?"

It was clear the Skyline wasn't making any headway and had no chance of overtaking the Silvia in this run. Reina flashed her headlights in a certain pattern, which Rikako apparently took as a signal by Reina to concede.

"Well I guess Reina's had enough."

"Yokata" sighed Madoka, as Rikako slowed her pace and went off the next exit ramp.

(end BGM)

(5 minutes later at gas station)

"That was a great run there Rikako-chan" said Reina.

"Thanks!" replied Rikako.

"Mou! That was scary!" said Madoka tiredly.

"Yeah! That was faster than Reina did the last time" added Sakurako.

"Hey! I was just getting warmed up back there!" said Reina.

"You've got to be kidding" shuddered Sakurako.

"Hi girls!" said an approaching attendant.

"Akio!" acknowledged Reina.

"EH? Kazumi's cousin?" said Sakurako.

"Hey! Isn't he the guy with the blue car?" asked Madoka.

"You mean the Devil Z? Yes that's him" said Rikako.

"Devil Z?" asked Madoka.

"Say what you girls talking about?" asked Akio.

"Oh, nothing, except your car" said Reina.

"Ah, the Devil Z."

"Yeah. Someday one of our cars will smoke it!" declared Rikako.

"Oh really?"

"Hey! Are you challenging him to one of those dangerous races!?!?" asked an exasperated Madoka.

"Of course!" said Rikako. Madoka paled.

"We've done this a number of times already." said Reina. "It's just that Akio-kun here keeps beating us."

"Ehehehe" laughed Akio sheepishly.

"No way!" said Sakurako.

"Well, I think it's time we got you girls home." said Reina.

"Thank goodness." said Madoka. "And, this time, please drive carefully?"

"Of course." said Rikako. Reina nodded.

"Well, goodnight then ladies!" said Akio. "Till the next race!"

"DON'T SAY THAT YOU JERK!" shouted Madoka.

"Woa woa! Easy there!" said Akio with his hands in front of him.

"Yeah relax Madoka." said Rikako.

"Hmmph!" breathed Madoka.

Soon the girls got in their respective cars and left for the night.

"Not a bad group of girls these Mahora Middle schoolers." remarked Akio. "I wonder of the rest of Kazumi-chan's class is like?"

-TBC

A/N: Somehow I figured Rikako Ota and Madoka Kugimiya could actually get along well, given a their circumstances that tend to give each of them tomboyish images (eg Madoka's husky voice and short haircut and the one instance in both the Negima Manga and Anime where she [unintentionally] dressed like a boy, then Rikako being a car tuner, something that's traditionally beeb a man's world).

Twilight in Rain:
Glad you like it. I'll admit it's kinda repetitive at the moment, but the story is still at the stage of introducing its characters. Once all off them are in place, there will be a change in the pace of the story.