"I need you to fight me."
Angel stared at him for several more seconds, her expression cycling through confusion, disbelief, and finally settling on cautious interest. "You want me to what?"
"Fight me," Noah repeated, keeping his voice level. "Actual combat. No holding back."
"Why?"
"I'm evaluating myself." Noah chose his words carefully, leaving out the details about forging equipment and system quests. "Trying to figure out where I'm actually lacking. Best way to do that is fight the strongest person I know in the eastern quadrant."
Angel's eyebrow rose slightly. "And you think that's me?"
"Lucas would've been my first choice, but he's back on Raiju Prime dealing with his own stuff. That leaves you. Former Ark Division, S-rank awakened, actual combat experience against threats that would kill most people." Noah met her eyes directly. "I saw you fight on that planet when Kruel was attacking here. You're a monster in the best possible way."
