- "What happened in the past belongs in the past! This is my Z now!"
- ― Akio Asakura
The second rematch between Akio Asakura and Tatsuya Shima is the third battle in Wangan Midnight.
Prior to the battle[]
A month passes after Akio's devastating crash during his battle against the Blackbird. Tatsuya Shima (with Eriko Asakura) is seen in a gas station refilling up his Porsche as Akio appears offering to clean the Porsche's windows with Tatsuya Shima accepting the proposal. Akio asks if he is going around Yokohoma today as Tatsuya points out his bandage on his cheek and uncertainly says Mister before Akio reveals his full name to them both, shocking Tatsuya and Eriko. Akio confirms that he shares the name with Eriko's late brother before Tatsuya asks what happened to the Devil Z, Akio answers that it will return back to the Wangan soon enough. As the Porsche is done getting filled with gas, Akio bids them both a farewell.
Akio is now seen working at his second job as an waiter and welcomes two ladies. An colleague asks Akio if he really needed that money in-which Akio validates the question, Akio then gets a call about the car parts he has ordered and that it's been sent to his garage as usual just before the man behind the telephone tells Akio to make the payment within one week. Tatsuya Shima and Eriko Asakura are seen in a café with Eriko about to leave the place to go to an "friends place" around here, before Tatsuya offers her an ride to the place with Eriko politely declining the offer. Just before Eriko leaves, Tatsuya tells her to take care of herself then watches her rushing outside. Akio ends his shift and leaves the place before spotting Eriko with her learning on the gas station that he works here at night, and then Akio asks if she needs something and where is her boyfriend then notices that she let her hair grow out. Akio points out that he didn't recognize her at first and that she was the girl sitting on the passenger seat of the Z three years ago, and then Akio asks how long will Eriko follow him before opening the garage and not minding it as long she doesn't get in his way and that the night won't last forever.
Eriko is shocked after seeing the Devil Z inside his garage and just watches Akio repair the Z before pointing out the similarities of him and her brother. Eriko then tears up telling Akio that the Z is dangerous and why it can't be another car following up with why does it have to be always the Z. Akio tells Eriko that he can't explain it and even though he shares the same name as her brother, he reminds her that he isn't her brother and tells her that she should set the past aside and that it's his Z now. Akio mentions that even if the Z is an devil, it's fine for him and asks Eriko to go home and let the Blackbird know that next Wednesday, he will be waiting at the Wangan; Ichikawa Parking Area at 3:AM. Akio then finally asks Eriko to tell Blackbird that the Devil Z will take it down.
Ko-Chan tells Akio that he is surprised that he managed to fix the Z alone and mentions that he will not speak any negative stuff to the Z from now on with Akio thanking Ko-Chan. Ko-Chan points out that Akio's driving skills have improved but Akio has a feeling that the Z will betray him even if he gets a little careless, Ko-Chan mentions to him that he and the Z are an perfect match with Akio being uncertain about it mentioning that the Z is risky. Next day, Akio and Ma is seen walking to their school while taking about Akio's upcoming rematch against the Blackbird with Ma still talks about the Z31 and keeps saying that Akio is putting his life on the line and that he might crash and die with Akio countering everything Ma said. Ma asks Akio if his brother is gonna go with him in the battle in-which Akio confirms leaving Ma with no choice but to also follow along since he feels pity that he is Akio's "only friend". Later that night, Akio is seen working another shift as an waiter and follows his colleague's order to serve Table 5.
When he approaches the table, he sees that it's actually Eriko Asakura wanting to talk with him. Akio then requests Eriko to wait for him at an donut shop in Motomachi. As Eriko waits for Akio, she sees Akio arriving at the front with the Devil Z, Akio questions what made her come all the way out here and asks her where she lives. Eriko tries to persuade Akio that it's fine to not take her home but Akio switches up the topic to what she originally wanted to talk about, Eriko then shows him an spare key for the Devil Z catching Akio off-guard. Eriko talks about the spare key and says that before the accident of her brother, He used the spare since he couldn't find his key. As Akio drops her off to her home, Eriko then asks to take the spare key before Akio asks Eriko if she will go to Him and Tatsuya's battle with Akio lastly questioning Eriko if she will ride besides him in the Z to make her understand the answer of her question.
The scene shifts to the Blackbird arriving at Ichikawa Parking Area for the battle, Tatsuya then tells Akio that the race will start at Haneda and ending at the Yokohoma Bay Bridge. Akio then asks Eriko if she will now ride besides him while Ma secretly makes fun of Tatsuya Shima making Ko-Chan annoyed, Tatsuya then starts the race turning on their cars. Eriko hesitates to enter the Z but Tatsuya steps in and allows Eriko to do so.
During the battle[]
The battle ensues at the Wangan with Ko-Chan and Ma spectating behind their RX-7, Akio then executes an dangerous and risky move by entering an small gap between a sedan and a truck worrying Ko-Chan. Both cars evades another truck and Akio shifts a gear then presses the gas accelerating as Blackbird does so, they enter the middle lane as two trucks are occupying the other lanes with the Z losing traction a bit when moving to the right lane. The cars continue to race at high speed and fast acceleration as Eriko starts to cry pleading for Akio and Tatsuya to stop racing as she doesn't get the reason why following up that it's Tatsuya and Her Brother; now it's Tatsuya and Him but Akio persists telling Eriko to look closer and decide if the Z is truly a devil or not but she can't decide on that yet since they still haven't reached the goal. As Blackbird slowly moves near Akio and his Z, he sees the same situation again that made him crash last time; the lane merge. Akio says that he won't make the same mistake again and floors it but the Devil Z "betrays" him making the handling stiffen again and turns to the left where the signs are making him lose traction and crash the same way as before but Akio accepts it and stays calm.
After the battle[]
After crashing once again, Ko-Chan and Ma sprints to the crashed Z to check if Akio is fine. Ma asks Akio if he can stand but Akio somehow felt really good about and proves his point to Eriko saying that it wasn't the Z but his driving that made him crash in the first place, Akio thinks that the Z didn't betray him and asks Eriko to tell the Blackbird again that him and the Devil Z will return back to the Wangan and that when the time comes; He will finally defeat the Blackbird.
Music[]
Side by Side - KAORU OHHORI
Trivia[]
- The cars entering the middle lane due to two trucks is only anime exclusive.
- Akio once again is shown with only minor bruises after his crash despite being shown alongside blood in his head in the manga.