However, the next second, the smile on Senbonzakura's face suddenly froze!
??(?ヮ? ????)...
Rikka, standing beside her, was dumbfounded too!
(??_?)?
The little box held no Diamond Spirit Bead at all.
It had vanished into thin air, replaced by a crumpled-up scrap of paper!
Senbonzakura exploded!
The Diamond Spirit Bead she'd spent 1.1 billion on, going into a mountain of debt to win?!
(??w???‖)? Where had it gone?
She had clearly seen the bead in the box earlier. She'd even checked again and again, so how could it have gone missing?
In a panic, Senbonzakura tossed the box aside and unfolded the crumpled scrap of paper!
(??益?)?▓
IOU
I, Senbonzakura of the Sakura Group, owe Jiang Nan one billion! This IOU serves as proof!
Signature of debtor: Senbonzakura!
Fingerprint: ?
Signature of guarantor: Rikka!
Fingerprint: ?
Senbonzakura's eyes widened. ???
(??口?) "What's this? An IOU? One billion? How...?"
Rikka dropped to the floor, her pretty face deathly pale. She darted her eyes around, sweat pouring from her forehead!
( ??????﹏???????)...
She recognized this IOU all too well. It was the one she'd signed when she'd begged Jiang Nan to save Sakura-chan from the poison!
She never thought she'd see this IOU again in her lifetime!
"It... it was when we were in the Metropolis. I wrote it for Jiang Nan. That ten billion..."
Senbonzakura: !!!
On the back of the IOU, there was another line!
"(?°??°?) You've got money to attend an auction, but not to pay me back, huh? And you're hiding from me? Where do you think you can hide?"
"Debts must be repaid! That's only right! That Spirit Bead was mine to begin with. I put it up for auction, so I took it back. Here's your IOU. We're even!"
"Just count the 1.1 billion as repayment.