Painful Realization

"Good, it would be boring if you just gave up," the female hunter giggled.

"As a reward for your courage, let me tell you my name. I'm Tiara, a Tier 1 hunter," she revealed. 

Nobu broke a sweat after hearing it. Though he wasn't from the West, he knew that Tier 1 hunters were a different breed altogether.

"Don't be too nervous. I can smell your fear from here," she added, her lips curling into a smile.

"Shadow Veiled!" Nobu whispered , and his presence began to fade. He wasn't completely invisible, but he became much harder to track, especially in the darkness.

"Interesting technique, but—" Before she finished her sentence, she vanished from view with an advanced use of timed blinking. 

"You're too slow," she whispered in his ear.

Nobu swung his short katana but only hit air. When he turned around, Tiara was already back in her original position.