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 8: Those Who Pursue the Devil Z Part 5
(Wednesday, Late afternoon, at a TV Studio in Tokyo)
"That's all for today folks!" said Reina in front of the TV camera while a jazzy track played in the background.
"Next week, we'll cover the story of the rumored GT-R concept car that will supposedly come out in 2007." said her male companion.
"Goodbye!" greeted Reina, before she and her companion stood up.
"Drive, Go Go!" said the pair, waving a hand each in front of them while forming L-shapes with their thumbs and index fingers as the music track came to its conclusion and was silenced.
"Aaaand, cut!" said the director. "Alright! Good job everyone!"
(1 hour later)
"Well, I'll see you Reina-chan!" said Reina's co-host from the earlier TV shooting, Koichi Kijima.
"Yeah! See you tomorrow!" replied Reina as she exited the building.
After Koichi was left alone in the lobby, he went upstairs to his office. Being a professional TV personality obviously had its quirks. Koichi could meet all kinds of important people, from his co-host Reina Akikawa to other media people like Ishida Yoshiaki, and since his show is centered on motoring, professional tuners like Kazuo Ota. Little does the media hungry public know about Koichi's more reclusive activities. On his desk was large brown envelope sent to him from an overseas contact, containing information that was acquired at the request of a high profile individual, one Ayaka Yukihiro, heiress of the Yukihiro Zaibatsu, and Class representative of Mahora Girls Middle School Class 3A. The lengths it took to get this information would put the papparazzi to shame.
Koichi sat by his desk and quickly checked the contents of the envelope. Feeling satisfied, he was about to make a phone call when the phone rang first.
"Hello? Koichi Kijima speaking" he said answering the phone.
"Mr. Kijima? You have a visitor. Miss Yukihiro." said the receptionist on the other end.
"Ah. Good. I was just about to call her. Ask her to meet me at the cafeteria please."
"Yes sir. click!"
(5 minutes later, the studio cafeteria)
"Ah! Kijima-san!" called a blonde teenage girl just at the entrance to the area.
"Good afternoon, Yukihiro-sama!" greeted Koichi. "Shall get something to eat?"
"Sure!" replied the girl, Ayaka Yukihiro.
The two purchased some light snacks then took a table.
"I have the information you requested" said Koichi, handing Ayaka the brown envelope.
"Arigato!" said Ayaka, checking its contents. "I understand this took quite a bit of effort to obtain."
"Sure did. Had to call a few favors, including Interpol." said Koichi.
"I know how busy you are Kijima-san, but this is really important to me." said Ayaka with a concerned look.
"Not too much of a bother, Yukihiro-sama." said Koichi. "Are my suspicions correct?"
"I don't know yet." said Ayaka. "But I have a hunch about it. If he really did what I thought he did..." she started, but trailed off.
"Hey, it's alright." said Koichi. "If the boy really is your long lost and supposedly dead brother, you should be happy."
"I know." replied Ayaka, almost in tears. "If things could just have been different..."
"Sometimes we all wish for something can't have." said Koichi. "But we've got to live on with what we have now."
"Yes." said Ayaka. "I just want to shower him with the love of a good older sister. But since he doesn't know..."
"It's painful. But we don't know how he'll take it. And of course there's the reaction of the rest of your class" said Koichi. "Right now you can just be there for him."
"I already am." said Ayaka. "I'm sorry for getting all emotional like this."
"It's alright." said Koichi.
The conversation took well into the night, and the two ended up also having dinner. Afterwards Ayaka decided to head home.
"Yukihiro-sama, may I suggest I take you home?" said Koichi. "Your own limousine might take a while to get here. Besides, your home is along my route anyway."
"I guess I'll be taking you up on your offer, Kijima-san" replied Ayaka.
(Parking Garage)
"Not a bad car you have here Kijima-san" said Ayaka, looking at the Mazda RX-7 Koichi approached and unlocked.
"It's the best car in my opinion." said Koichi, opening the passenger door for Ayaka.
"Thanks" said Ayaka, taking her seat.
Koichi closed the door and went around to take the driver's seat. He started it up, revved it a few times, then drove out of the parking area and into the city streets. Soon they reached the Wangan.
"Sometimes I forget how amazing the view of the city is from here." said Ayaka looking at the passign cityscape.
"Sure is."
Ayaka continued staring at the city, but her view was suddenly obscured by a red Skyline GT-R. Its passengers grinned goofily and leered at Ayaka as its side window opened. "Ugh! Such creeps."
"Just let them be. They'll get bored after awhile." said Koichi. "Eh?" he muttered, as he noticed the GT-R nudging towards his own car. "That's cutting it real close!" he said, switching to the right lane. The GT-R followed suit, as if to deliberately sideswipe the RX-7. "So, he wants to play huh?" said Koichi.
(BGM: Total Terror)
"I think we should get away from these creeps!" said Ayaka.
"Just what I had in mind!" said Koichi. "Hang on!" he said, gunning the throttle.
"I hope you know what you're doing!" exclaimed Ayaka.
"Daijoubu! I've done this before." said Koichi. The RX-7 soon reached top speed and was screaming down the Wangan. The GT-R tailed them.
"They're still behind us!" said Ayaka.
"If those are the same guys Asakura-san dealt with before, they sure haven't learned their lesson!" said Koichi.
"Asakura?" said Ayaka in confusion.
"Oh, the driver of the Devil Z. Akio Asakura" said Koichi.
"Ah, come to think of it, I've heard that name from a classmate of mine. Oh yeah, he must be related. They're both Asakura" said Ayaka, referring to her classmate Kazumi.
"Hmm." hummed Koichi. He then noticed the GT-R suddenly gain a burst of speed. "The GT-R must be using Nitro injection!"
"Huh!" gasped Ayaka, as the GT-R swept around on the left lane and overtook the RX-7. "Oh my!"
"Heh! So they think they've won?" said Koichi. "They have another thing coming!" As if on cue, a truck-trailer just ahead suddenly swerved, getting in the way of the GT-R. The GT-R braked suddenly then fishtailed, before spinning to the right, and hitting the freeway barrier on the right side before being lifted into the air still in a flat spin - right in front of the RX-7.
"LOOK OUT!!!" yelled Ayaka.
"HOLD ON!" spat Koichi, stepping on it and passing the haplessly spinning GT-R at just the right time, leaving the stricken car in the dust.
"That was close." said Ayaka. "Good drive."
"Thanks!" said Koichi. "At least we're still running."
"Yeah."
(end BGM)
"Hmm, thanks to that run we're already there much earlier than I planned." said Koichi.
"Oh, you're right!" said Ayaka.
(5 minutes later, Yukihiro Manor)
"Thanks for the ride Kijima-san!" said Ayaka. "Perhaps you'll like to stay for a bit and have some tea?"
"Don't mention it." said Koichi. "I'd love to hang out for awhile, but I've got to get going."
"Oh." piped Ayaka. "Well, take care then!"
"Will do." said Koichi. "Goodnight!" he said, getting into his car.
"Night!" answered Ayaka, as Koichi drove the car down the Manor's main causeway and out the gate. "Hmm." hummed Ayaka as she went into deep thought. "Negi-sensei, are you really my long lost younger brother?" she asked herself as she looked at the brown envelope.
-TBC
A/N: How's that ending? That was an idea that somehow kicked into my mind after thinking things over, particularly Negi's age and the day Ayaka's younger brother was supposed to be born. Looks like a coincidence, but the idea that hit my mind was this: could Negi actually be Ayaka's supposedly dead brother, but was spirited away by Nagi with the false news of being stillborn as a move to keep Negi safe? Whether or not Nagi was also Ayaka's father didn't occur to me (eg perhaps Nagi had an illicit affair with Ayaka's mother resulting in Negi's birth). Of course that is still up to speculation, but it would give Ayaka a really good reason to go and carry on the investigation of Nagi Springfield.
The chase with the red GT-R and the resulting accident was based on a similar event in episode 4 of the Wangan Midnight anime. Let's just say those two in the GT-R didn't learn from their mistake last time when they tangled with the Devil Z.
Also, the "Concept GT-R" talked about in the show mentioned in this chapter in fact refers to the prototype of what would eventually be the Nissan GT-R (R35) released in Japan at the end of 2007.