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.

Stage 1: Ghost in the Machine

(Saturday, Evening, at an intersection in Tokyo)

"It's been a while since we last visited this place" said Kazuo Ota, Rikako's father, looking at closed off driveway under a flyover.

"Indeed." said Kazuhiko Yamamoto, another shop owner, and one who exclusively tunes Reina Akikawa's car.

"He sure is late" said a third shop owner, welding expert Yuichi Takagi, owner of Body Shop Sunday.

"Yeah, but here he comes now" said Kazuhiko, eyeing the Dodge Viper approaching, followed by a Mazda RX-7 Savanna. Both cars parked nearby, and their drivers, along with a young boy who rode in the Viper's passenger seat, emerged approaching the two men waiting for them.

"Yo!" greeted Takahata.

"Konbanwa!" greeted Kochan.

"Greetings Senseis, Kochan" greeted Kazuo. "I presume this is something of great urgency?"

"Yes indeed." said Takamichi. "The magic community has raised an alert, and we need to deal with it soon."

"And what is it that we have to deal with?" asked Kazuhiko.

"The Devil Z" said Kochan.

"What are we on to?" asked Takagi.

"Explain it to them, Negi-sensei" said Takahata to the boy with him.

"Hai!" said the boy, Negi Springfield.

(Flashback, Friday late evening, Mahora Dorms Parking)

"Thanks for the ride, Akio-niisan!" said Kazumi, stepping out of the Devil Z.

"Don't mention it!" replied Akio, still inside his car.

"Well, be careful now."

"Sure, ojou-sama!"

Kazumi glared at Akio, ticked off at his teasing. "You call me that again and I'll..." said Kazumi angrily, but was interrupted by a child's voice.

"Ah! Good timing!" said Negi Springfield. "Hey Kazumi! Mind if I talk to your cousin there?"

"Ah! Sensei!" said Kazumi. "Um, okay I guess" 'You got "saved by the bell" this time Akio-niisan' thought Kazumi.

"Good Evening Sensei. What can I do for you?" asked Akio. He was about to step out of his car when Negi stopped him.

"No need to get out. I need a ride quick if it's alright with you" said Negi.

"Eh?" asked Akio in confusion.

"Ha!?" piped Kazumi. She knew Negi had faster and more convinient means of transportation so she was really surprised to see him ask for a ride.

"Hai! I need to hand over some documents to a friend and he needs it pronto!" said Negi.

"Ah, well, okay" said Akio.

"Oy! Chotto mate!" said Kasumi. "Negi-kun, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"No time! This can't wait!" said Negi almost excitedly.

"(Sigh!) Okay fine." said Kazumi. 'What's going on here?' thought Kazumi.

"Well hop in Sensei!" said Akio, opening the passenger door.

"Arigato!" said Negi, stepping in and buckling up.

"Must be really important" remarked Akio.

"It is! Can you hurry?" said Negi.

"Hmm" hummed Akio and looked as if in deep thought.

"HEYYYYY!!!" yelled Kazumi. "YOU'RE NOT SPEEDING WITH A CHILD ON BOARD ARE YOU!?!?"

"I'll think about it" said Akio sarcastically.

"A-K-I-O!!!!!!"

'Scary' thought Negi, never seeing Kazumi looking so angry before.

"Don't worry! I'll take good care of your cute little teacher!" said Akio with a smile. "He'll be safe and sound I promise!"

"Grrrr..." growled Kazumi. Then her expression softened when Negi called out to her.

"Daijoubu Asakura-san!" said Negi. "I'll be fine!"

Kazumi sighed as she saw Akio pull out into the driveway and drive off. 'Well, Negi-sensei's a powerful mage, having battled other mages, and even dragon. What could be so dangerous about a speeding car?' thought Kazumi. Then she recalled the time she discovered Negi's identity as a mage when he magically flipped a van over to save a kitten's life. 'I guess I'm worring about nothing, am I?' Then her face darkened. 'Sayo-chan! Don't tell me Negi's going to...'

(Five minutes later, along Fukagawa highway approaching the Wangan expressway)

"So basically you have reach the Haneda Airport before your friend's plane departs?" asked Akio.

"Hai!" replied Negi. "We only have 20 minutes remaining!" he added, looking at his watch.

"Wakarimashta! I'll get you there in no time!" said Akio, turning into the Wangan Expressway and flooring it.

(BGM: Ghost in the Resonance)

"WHOA!" yelped Negi due to the car's acceleration.

"You alright?" asked Akio.

"Uh, yeah! I'm fine!" replied Negi. "Just please concentrate on your driving!"

"Hmm? Um, okay." said Akio, bringing the Devil Z up to its top speed.

'That should keep him busy' thought Negi, trying to fight down the excitement in his heart from the high speed ride, has he began to whisper a chant. "Ras Tel Ma Scir Magister, Oculus de Kilrogg, Patefacio!" 'I hope this works, if Master is right'

At that moment, Negi's vision began to blurr. What would normally have been a view of the Wangan rushing at him with all the streetlights and cars being passed, a sea of mist with wisps of light flashing by was in Negi's field of vision. He was still in a seating position and strapped in, but the car seems to have vanished and he looked as if he was just floating. Suddenly the world around him warped, and reformed, and he found himself back in the car speeding along the Wangan. He turned to look at the driver's side and saw Akio, only he looked a bit different, somewhat older.

"Hey Akio-san!" Negi started, but Akio didn't respond. "Oy!" Negi called again, but still Akio didn't budge. 'Eh? Why isn't he responding?' thought Negi. Then he looked outside the window and saw another car in view - a black Porsche 911. 'Blackbird?' thought Negi, recalling what Kazumi told him before about Akio's main rival in the Wangan expressway. 'How did it get here?' thought Negi, when suddenly he felt the car sway.

"Ugh!" gasped Akio, finally speaking. "Damn! I'm losing it!" he grunted as he wrestled with the steering while the car began to fishtail.

"WAAAA!!!!" yelled Negi, as he saw to his horror the Devil Z lose control and get into a flat spin. He braced himself for impact as the car turned towards the protective railing.

CRASH!!!

For a moment, everything was black, then, Negi opened his eyes, and was surprised he was no worse for wear. Akio on the other hand, looked like a bloody mess. "AKIO-SAN!!!" shouted Negi. "You okay!? Hang in there! I'll---" he stopped when he saw something really disturbing - a black void appearing behind Akio, growing in size and looking as if to swallow him. "AKIO-SAN!! LOOK OUT!!!" shouted Negi, who only watched helplessly as the black void enveloped Akio, then vanished suddenly, leaving the driver's body as it was. "AKIO-SAN!!!"

"ASAKURA-SAN!!! DAIJOUBU!?!?" a somewhat muffled shout was heard from the outside. Negi looked at the source and saw Tatsuya Shima, the driver of the Blackbird, pounding on the driver's side window with a horrified look on his face. Tatsuya then pulled hard on the door handle, finally ripping the door off. "ASAKURA-SAN!! SPEAK TO ME!!" shouted Tatsuya as he began lightly slapping Akio's face, which did not respond at all.

"NOOOOOO!!!!" yelled Negi, horrified at the thought that Akio was dead. Suddenly the world around him warped again, and he found himself in the Devil Z still running at its furious pace. He looked around frantically and saw Akio, alive and well, and still driving. "Huh!? Akio-san?"

"Hmm? Something wrong Sensei?" asked Akio, who was still concentrating on his driving.

"Uh, no, nothing! Just go startled a bit" he said frantically.

"Hahaha!" laughed Akio. "That's okay. Kazumi-chan reacted the same way on her first ride with me."

"Soka," murmured Negi. His head was swimming from the "vision" he saw of Akio getting killed in a vehicular accident, and what he thought was some dark form devouring the dead driver. 'That sure was scary. I better ask for help on this. Is this what frightened Sayo?' thought Negi, recalling Kazumi's ghost friend asking him for a favor, and actually looking scared to death while doing so.

"Anyway we're almost there" said Akio, finally reducing speed and reaching the Haneda Airport exit.

(end BGM)

(5 minutes later, Haneda Airport Terminal 1 Unloading Zone)

"Thanks for the ride Akio-san" said Negi.

"My pleasure Sensei" replied Akio. "At least we got here in time"

"Yeah! 10 minutes to spare too!" said Negi.

"Shall I wait for you so I can take you back to Mahora?" asked Akio.

"Uh, no need. Thank you very much." said Negi. "I've taken up enough of your time already. Besides, I have, um, other arrangements to handle." he said.

"As you wish" said Akio. "Goodnight Sensei, and give my reagards to your friend."

"Night!" replied Negi, watching as Akio drove off. 'Sorry for lying to you there Akio-san, but I wanted to see for myself' thought Negi, making his way up the terminal's main building reaching the observation deck, before hopping onto his staff and taking off into the night.

(End Flashback)

"So that's what you saw?" asked Kazuo. "What really happened to the late Akio Asakura?"

"I believe so." replied Negi.

"So we have a car that not only tempts motorists with its speed," began Kazuhiko. "but is also apparently possesed by a dark entity that devours the souls of those who die in it."

"It appears so" said Kochan. "I should have realized it when I found out about the car's history. I didn't want to upset Akio, but perhaps I should have stopped him."

"It could not be helped." said Takamichi. "So this only happens if the car is being driven at its top speed?"

"Hai!" replied Negi. "I tried the same spell when the car was parked, and while it was being driven leisurely. In both case I saw nothing. Nothing at all."

"So we have to catch this, thing, when the Devil Z is at its finest moments." remarked Takagi.

"I think a word with the Devil's Tuner is in order as well." said Takamichi.

"Indeed. Jun Kitami has a lot of explaining to do." said Kazuhiko.

-TBC

A/N: So here's where the real meat of the story begins. Negi gave Akio a ruse to give him a ride in the Devil Z so he see for himself what Sayo was scared of.

The spell Negi used is something I invented after doing a bit of research. It comprises of Negi's "activation spell", followed by what I think is "Eye of Kilrogg, Open!" Basically a spell that would let Negi peer into the higher planes (eg the Astral Plane) and see what no ordinary people would see.