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1! As a recap page, all spoilers below have been unmarked. You have been warned.
2[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chapter_7.png]]
3[[caption-width-right:350:A tired Ivy in Lucy's bedroom.]]
4-->'''Ivy:''' You can stay here. You don’t have to go. It’s okay not to. I know this is important to you, I ''get'' that, but after last week’s test… I think it’s time we got realistic. You should quit. We had our fun, but –-\
5'''Lucy:''' It was never about ''fun'', Ivy. It’s never ''been'' fun. I keep putting myself out there, humiliating myself over and over -– Just to pretend like I could still be worth something if I hang on for a little longer…\
6'''Ivy:''' You ''are'' worth something, Lucy! You don’t ''have'' to keep doing this to prove that!\
7'''Lucy:''' But Ivy -– What’s the alternative? What would ''you'' have me do instead? Nothing? What can I do but bang my head against the wall? What else is there for me but this house and that old man who –- who -– ''He never even asked if I was okay!'' I was attacked by a husk! Isn’t that worth some attention?! ''Concern''?! But he hasn’t said a word to me! And the way he looks at me… It’s like… It’s like… It’s like he’s disappointed it didn’t kill me…
8
9The chapter opens, [[Recap/NeverSatisfiedChapterOne two weeks after the comic began]], in Lucy's bedroom. This time, however, Lucy's already dressed and awake. Rather than waking them up for a big day, Ivy tries to convince them to stay home. She points out that, while she understands how important the competition is for Lucy, it would be more realistic for them to [[KnowWhenToFoldEm quit now]] rather than risk something as bad as, or worse than, [[Recap/NeverSatisfiedChapterFour last week's disaster]]. Lucy snaps at her, insisting that while they ''know'' the competition hasn't been great for their mental health, quitting would be, in their eyes, even worse.
10
11As Lucy argues with Ivy, the biggest source of their frustration comes out: they feel trapped living with Rothart, who, beyond his [[YouAreGrounded initial rant]] to them last Saturday evening, has said nothing about the fact that they, as well as Ivy, could have died. When they confess they feel that he's disappointed they're still alive, Ivy's horrified. Lucy brings up other instances of Rothart berating them for being forgetful and impulsive, admitting that they've internalized his attitude towards them and feel like he should get rid of them. Ivy's dismayed and attempts to explain that he wasn't always so bitter, but this fails to comfort Lucy, who's forced to live with the Rothart who ''is'' this bitter.
12
13With a sigh, Ivy changes the subject: if Lucy doesn't get going, they'll be late for the test again. Lucy's surprised -- wasn't she ''just'' trying to talk them out of going? -- but Ivy clarifies that while she'll make no effort to stop them from continuing the competition, they can't force her to tag along. Ivy apologizes as Lucy leaves, then turns and addresses someone in a tree named Piper. She asks them to keep an eye on Lucy, and they have a short conversation. Ivy admits that she's being cowardly in essentially setting Lucy up for failure, and that she feels completely powerless. Piper remarks that perhaps Ivy should remind Thierry what he's ostensibly given everything up for.
14
15We cut to the bakery, where Su-Yeong is cheerfully decorating a batch of cupcakes with goat faces. Tetsu walks in and immediately starts asking her about her choice in decoration. Su-Yeong rolls her eyes as they continue their line of questioning, but her playful annoyance quickly shifts to irritation as she recalls that they've been at this all week. She sarcastically gripes that, between Tetsu and [[Recap/NeverSatisfiedChapterSix Isra]], she wouldn't be surprised if the next step was a Q&A session with the entire neighborhood... and turns to see that Tetsu's let Broom Girl in.
16
17Even though Broom Girl serenely compliments the cute cupcakes, which Su-Yeong appreciates, her presence is the last straw. Tetsu pulls out a notepad as Su-Yeong begins to lose her temper, asking if she's mad. Su-Yeong realizes she's being baited and forces herself to think of [[HappyPlace calmer things]]: springtime, baby goats, and Peony. She somewhat unconvincingly tells Tetsu that she's not mad at all, then flips out when they express excitement that she's making headway with the anger management techniques. Su-Yeong points out that not ''everything'' needs to be a test... which reminds Tetsu that the fifth test round is today, and they need to go. Disappointed, they leave, but not before urging Su-Yeong to apply utmost scientific rigor to her physical and mental state while they're out.
18
19The scene transitions yet again to the courtyard where the test round is to be held. [[Webcomic/RiversideExtras Siobhan Teterya]] stands, looking bored, in front of a fountain, where January, Philomena, and Ana sit. January brags to a distracted Philomena and a bored Ana about her [[Recap/NeverSatisfiedChapterFive new sponsorship]], then mentions that once the test is over she can put in a good word for Philomena, if she wants. Philomena glances guiltily at Lucy, who's standing well away from everyone. Tetsu and Broom Girl drop in ([[FlyingBroomstick quite literally]]) right in front of Lucy.
20
21Tetsu starts to ask Lucy for ''their'' side of what happened last week, but Siobhan, noting that they and Broom Girl have arrived, gets everyone's attention. She introduces herself as Cedric's master and Ophelia and Derry's friend, explaining that the two are busy today and asked her to proctor in their stead. Siobhan notes she's already met everyone except Lucy and cheerfully invites everyone present to eat at her bistro, where Cedric works. She then announces that this is a partnered test, and once everyone's paired up she'll explain the rules. January immediately grabs Philomena before Ana can ask if Philly wants to pair up with her, right as Lucy nervously turns to see if Tetsu's open. Seeing that they're already holding Broom Girl's hand, Lucy comes to a horrible realization at the same time as Ana: that they're the paired spares.
22
23The shot cuts to Sylas, standing on a walkway overlooking the courtyard. Fineas comments that he's ''glad'' Sylas quit before the partnered round, but Fenn shushes him and insists that if it weren't for Philomena, the competitors would be lining up to partner with Sylas. She's about to continue complaining about Philly when Fineas and Sylas spot Seiji, who immediately becomes dismayed when he's noticed, approaching their vantage point. The two stand in awkward silence until Sylas asks about Seiji's new glasses.
24
25Seiji's immediately defensive and tries to brush off the question, but Sylas isn't deterred: he ''recognizes'' the glasses as Seiji's backup pair, which he only wears whenever his mom won't pay to replace a broken pair. He quickly puts two and two together, asking if Seiji had gotten into a fight. Seiji begins acting offended that Sylas jumped to that conclusion, but Sylas cuts him off with a look, and the two of them crack up. Sylas asks what the fight was about, and Seiji panics, lying that he made a pass at a girl.
26
27Sylas laughs, remarking that he's sure Seiji had it coming to him, and Siobhan yells at them to knock it off so the test can start.
28-->'''Siobhan:''' Enough chatter from peanut gallery! Is time for test! You will be dueling your partners. It is necessary for representative to have sharp fighting skills no matter who they face. You must be strong and ready for duty against any threat to magistration. Knock opponent out of ring, or incapacitate. I do not care how. Three of you will be eliminated. Apparently there is reason for hurry. Any questions?\
29'''Tetsu:''' Can we switch partners?\
30'''Siobhan:''' No.\
31'''Philomena:''' Do we... ''have'' to fight?\
32'''Siobhan:''' ''Yes''! There is no forfeits! And no throwing match! I will know. I would be ''very disappointed''.
33
34Ana mutters to Lucy that, while they shouldn't expect her to go ''easy'' on them, she'll finish the fight quickly so as to not needlessly embarrass them. Tetsu starts muttering something to Broom Girl, and when Siobhan calls them on scheming, they unconvincingly insist they're trash talking her. Siobhan asks which set of partners will go first, and as Ana quietly raises her hand to volunteer, Tetsu loudly announces that they and Broom Girl will.
35
36The two take their positions in the circle of yellow magic Siobhan set up, and Siobhan formally starts the test. Tetsu starts the fight with a visually impressive display of their triangular indigo magic, stunning most of the teens watching, and Broom Girl follows suit with shimmering golden strings of magic. They quickly begin launching and parrying magical attacks, and January and Philomena offer hushed commentary on how cool it is while they cling to each other.
37-->'''Philomena:''' Did you know they could do that?\
38'''January:''' Tetsu's been trained by ''Neith'' freaking ''Karim''. She was ''deadly'' on the guard. I heard she could kill husks by ''herself''.\
39'''Philomena:''' What about ''her''?\
40'''January:''' ''I don't know.''
41
42Broom Girl dives in to tackle Tetsu, and as they jump over her to dodge they whisper a signal, which she acknowledges just as quietly. They prepare to blast her from behind with magic, but she yanks on the still-present threads of her own magic and cinches it around Tetsu, immobilizing them. She picks them up out of the air and kisses their head, dryly asking Siobhan if Tetsu's been incapacitated enough. Siobhan immediately gushes about the level of skill the two displayed in their fight, and Lucy remarks to Ana that they didn't know the two were dating. Ana scornfully comments that it's not like they ''actually'' care.
43
44Tetsu huffs that they're counting on Broom Girl to win the whole competition now, then disintegrates their scorecard with a burst of magic. Philomena and January attempt to console Tetsu, but they're not even pretending to be disappointed about the competition. They cheerfully point out that they care more about having inside access to dismantle governmental corruption than about having a fancy title for themselves, blithely wish January luck, and teleport back to the bakery for some quality time with Su-Yeong. While Philomena's concerned about what Tetsu said and January panics about having to fight her crush or risk elimination, Siobhan picks on them to fight next. The girls attempt to stall, but Siobhan insists.
45
46We cut back to Seiji and Sylas on the rooftop as Sylas comments he was expecting Tetsu to be in the final two. He's exasperated when Seiji wonders aloud if Tetsu is the triangle one, asking if Seiji bothered to learn ''any'' of the other competitors' names during the [[Recap/NeverSatisfiedChapterThree two rounds he was actually in the competition]]. Seiji protests this, naming Philomena, January, and Ana, but gets stuck on Lucy, commenting that they remind him of...
47
48Someone we don't get to hear about, as Sylas cuts in, mentioning he doesn't actually know anything about them. He interprets Seiji trying to figure out who they look like as him expressing interest, casually noting that while they're his ''type'', they're out of his league. Seiji protests that he doesn't have a ''type'', and Sylas points out that all his exes have had the same haircut, build, and fashion sense as Lucy, not realizing that he, too, shares that look. He speculates that whoever Seiji was hitting on looked like Lucy too, and Seiji sheepishly admits that he wasn't actually hitting on the girl who fought him:
49-->'''Sylas:''' I bet the girl who gave you that bruise looked like that too.\
50'''Seiji:''' Uh... no. She was short, and... a jock... And it was... maybe... not actually... because I made a pass at her... And was maybe actually a fight. Sort of a fight. She beat me up.\
51'''Sylas:''' You got in a fight with a jock? Seiji... You got in a fight with ''January''?
52
53Sylas proceeds to freak out, demanding [[WhatWereYouThinking why on earth]] he was picking a fight with ''January''. Seiji, [[CrushBlush increasingly flustered]], attempts to brush the question off, until Sylas asks if he did it for ''him''. You know, because [[DramaticallyMissingThePoint January is also crushing on Philomena]]. Seiji, heartbroken, goes along with Sylas' assumption and quickly changes the subject: has the next fight started yet?
54
55Technically, it ''has'', but January and Philomena are still standing as far away from each other as the circle will allow, paralyzed by nervousness. Ana hollers at them to start fighting already, and Philomena throws up her hands in frustration. She admits that she's terrified that if she actually fights, she might win, and not only does she not want to win the competition at all, she doesn't want to cost January her sponsorship. January misinterprets Philomena's concern, smugly pointing out that as she's "level a million" on the guard there's no way Philomena could ''possibly'' beat her.
56
57This proves to be a mistake, as Philomena's set off by January calling her worries "cute" and marches up to her, throwing her high into the air above the circle with no hesitation. The spectators look on in shock, glee, and mild terror, and January only remembers at the last second that she can use magic to fly. Friday prompts her to throw up her wings, and as she lands in the circle, Philomena glares her down. Lucy, watching from the sidelines, is impressed by how strong Philly is, and Ana tells them about her various athletic achievements.
58
59Philomena once again announces that she doesn't ''want'' to fight, but if she ''must'', she ''will''. She then rushes January, breaking several tiles and nearly pushing her out of the ring. January's briefly overcome with affection, but she quickly regains her composure and eggs Philomena on. Now confident that they'll both give the fight their all, the girls prepare to ''actually'' begin the test with a renewed determination.
60
61As January and Philomena continue to banter, Piper watches from a nearby statue. We transition to Ivy, scrying on the competition through Piper's eyes from Thierry's house. She's surprised that Lucy hasn't had their turn yet, but at the rate things are going, they'll be done soon anyways. With a sigh, Ivy heads upstairs to talk to Thierry. She reaches the door at the top of the stairs with a stylized carving of a peacock holding a cluster of flowers in its beak and grumbles about how creepy it is that Thierry's turning the house into his own personal mausoleum.
62
63Ivy scratches at the door, telling him she needs to talk to him, and unlocks it after he tells her to go away. She opens the door to reveal Thierry, in a tier two husk form, languishing in an armchair while continuing to watch Joe in the seeker stone. Irritated, Thierry demands to know what Ivy wants, and she wastes no time laying into him.
64-->'''Thierry:''' What do you want.\
65'''Ivy:''' Well, first of all, you look like a pile of garbage. And so does this whole room. Covering it all with sheets doesn’t make it go away, you know.\
66'''Thierry:''' I don’t need you to tell me to clean my room, ''cat''.\
67'''Ivy:''' Apparently you need me to tell you how to raise your child, ''Thierry''.
68
69She tells Thierry about what Lucy told her this morning, how they're terrified he wishes they were dead. Thierry takes immediate offense, ranting to Ivy about Lucy's lack of gratitude as he shifts into a tier three form. Clutching the seeker stone, he raves about everything he gave up for Lucy, how they ''would'' be dead if not for him. Ivy looks on in disgust, accusing Thierry of losing track of the man he used to be. Thierry turns away.
70-->'''Thierry:''' That man is gone.\
71'''Ivy:''' ''[sighs]'' You big drama queen… Here. Let it out.
72
73She gently nudges his claw with her head, and after a pause he takes her head in his hands and vents a large amount of magic into her body with a crackling sound. Ivy, now sporting husk-like eyes, remarks that that was more than the last time he's done this and that his condition is deteriorating more rapidly than she thought. Thierry, now blonde and unwrinkled in his tier one state, calmly, but hesitantly, thanks Ivy. He apologizes for losing his temper at her, though he can't remember why. She reminds him that they'd been discussing Lucy, and he asks what they did this time. Ivy, frustrated, points out that Thierry's biggest problem is that he always assumes the worst of them.
74
75As Thierry starts modifying his appearance by donning his signature sky-blue lenses and applying a glamour to make himself appear wrinkly and white-haired, Ivy points out how unfair Thierry is to Lucy in blaming them for nothing, in holding against them something they don't remember doing. She's more rueful than annoyed at this point, and gently reminds Thierry he'll have to tell Lucy about it eventually. He dodges, asking Ivy how he can possibly tell Lucy that he's a monster and that he failed them so spectacularly. The scene starts to shift into a flashback...
76
77And cuts to Lucy zoning out at the competition. They glance around, assure themselves that nobody noticed their mind wandered elsewhere, and do a double take when they see the state of the fight between January and Philomena. The two girls are both scuffed up, and the courtyard as a whole is in a notable state of disrepair. Philomena slumps outside the circle at the foot of a now-broken fountain, smoldering with blue magic as January stands in the middle of the circle, staring her down. January triumphantly looks to the sky, holding her fist high, then steps out of the circle to help Philomena to her feet. The two girls clasp hands, smiling at each other.
78
79We cut once more to the walkway overlooking the courtyard. Sylas, covering his eyes, asks Seiji in a shaking voice about the state of the test. Seiji looks down at Philomena, still smiling at January, and sullenly reports that Philly's fine. Sylas lights up, relieved at how happy Philomena is. He comments that she wouldn't have enjoyed the representative position anyway, as the schedule would preclude her from pursuing her hobbies and that representatives make terrible spouses. Seiji panics about the prospect of Sylas marrying Philomena loudly enough for the others below to hear, but by the time Philomena looks curiously up, Sylas has pulled Seiji down behind the wall and covered his mouth.
80
81The viewpoint shifts once more to January and Phil, still excitedly discussing the fight they just had. As Philomena feels January's muscles, commenting that she's stronger than she looks, Siobhan rushes in to congratulate them both on the excellent, passionate, dramatic, and [[OffscreenMomentOfAwesome absolutely]] [[LampshadeHanging unmissable]] fight she just witnessed. She's ''so'' impressed by the spectacle, in fact, that she immediately offers them a free lunch at her bistro. Philomena assures a sheepish Siobhan that her father can cover the cost of the damages they've done to the fountain and other parts of the courtyard, as it wouldn't be the ''first'' time she's inadvertently caused property damage.
82
83Siobhan announces the last fight of the day: Lucy vs Ana. Ana claps Lucy on the shoulder, telling them with a smug grin that it's been nice knowing them, before shoving them away and grumbling that it's actually been awful. As the two take their positions, Ana confidently announces that she can beat Lucy with one hand behind her back and her familiar waiting outside the ring. Lucy's annoyed, but Ana's not interested in further discussion.
84
85With a snap of her fingers, Ana creates a red, spiked whip out of magic, which she immediately uses to lash out at Lucy. As they jump back, we see everyone in the courtyard watching the match: a dismayed Philly sits next to a perturbed Broom Girl, while January and Siobhan look on in worry and concern. Ana starts berating Lucy for dodging her attacks, and finally one of the strikes of her whip connects, wrapping painfully around Lucy's forearm. Ana cheerfully taunts Lucy as they struggle. Still trying to avoid being dragged towards Ana, Lucy demands to know what her problem with them is.
86
87Ana initially blows them off, saying that her problem is that they're still standing as she raises them into the air and slams them into the ground. Lucy tries to get up, but Ana smacks them with their own hand as she begins to verbally lay into them:
88-->'''Ana:''' You ''really'' want to know what my problem with you is, Lucy? Beside all the times you’ve acted like you’re better than us? And then turned around and acted like some sort of victim? Like it’s ''our fault'' we stopped trying to be your friends? Or maybe how you’ve been using somebody else’s familiar to fake your way through the contest? The contest ''we’ve all'' worked hard to be in? ''The contest I’ve wanted to win for as long as I can remember?!'' That you’ve been stumbling your way through for ''five rounds''?! … I can’t even feel ''good'' about finally taking you out. What’s ''your'' problem, ''Lucy''? Why are you doing this? You had to know it would end this way. You can’t have thought you’d ''win''. After the husk attacked you, I thought you’d finally get it and stay home. I wouldn’t have to tell you again. You can’t do anything. You can’t defend yourself. You shouldn’t be here.
89
90Ana begins to calm down when she admits she doesn't feel good about beating Lucy, and the mood grows somber as she asks why they're even in the competition. Lucy [[HeroicBSOD shuts down]], starting to bury their face in their free hand, when Philomena speaks up. She begs Ana to leave Lucy alone, telling her it isn't fair. Lucy realizes where she's going a split second before she announces for the entire courtyard to hear that they can't use magic. Philly once again begs Ana to stop, since Lucy can't fight back.
91
92Ana turns her head away from both Philly and Lucy, saying that Lucy's lack of magical talent isn't ''her'' problem, and prepares to end the fight. Lucy, however, interrupts her by grabbing the whip with both hands and pulling themselves to their feet. Glaring tearfully at Ana, Lucy snaps the whip in two. Everyone in the courtyard looks on in shock as the whip dissipates into motes of light around Lucy, with Ana reacting in disbelief and Broom Girl remarking that Tetsu would have loved to see this.
93
94The magic coalesces once more into a whip, this time around ''Lucy'''s hand, but this time it's different. Philomena recognizes the way it forms multiple streams as similar to what happened when Su-Yeong attempted to use Lucy to blast her with magic. Lucy stares at their hand, looking uncertain for a moment, then takes the spooling magic in their fist and rushes Ana with a manic grin. Ana's surprised, but brushes off her own nervousness. As Ana prepares to engage, though, Lucy snags a grate at the edge of the courtyard and slams it into her back.
95
96Ana creates another whip, but this time Lucy's ready. They catch it, dissolve it, and reform it once again, this time much more purposefully than before. They repeatedly strike Ana with the whip, scratching her face and undoing her hair tie, then jog up to her. They lift her off the ground by the neck, and as she struggles to pull their hand away, tell her in a magically distorted voice that she has no ''idea'' the depth of their problems.
97-->'''Lucy:''' But I'll let you in on one. Magicians like ''you'', who think you're better than me, just because of something you were born with. Just cause you have something I didn't. What if ''you'' didn't have it? What then, Ana?
98
99As Lucy taunts Ana, a bright surge of spiky magic crackles around the two of them. Finally, as her earrings crack, they release her, and she collapses to the ground. The magic fades away, and Lucy, in a normal voice, remarks that they've dropped Ana out of the ring, disqualifying her. Still riding the adrenaline high, they remember everyone gathered to watch. Lucy's surprised to hear Philomena, now nervously holding onto January's arm, ask what they did to Ana.
100
101They try to defend themselves, pointing out that in their eyes they didn't do anything worse than what Ana did to them, but Siobhan cuts them off. With a [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness previously unseen]] seriousness, she shields January and Philomena and orders Lucy to stay put and not make any sudden moves. Lucy's more confused than anything, bitterly calling the spectators out for standing by when they were powerless. As they accuse magicians as a whole of being all the same, Siobhan uses magic to grab their arm, telling them to calm down.
102
103This, of course, does not help them calm down, and as Siobhan tells them that they're unwell and she's taking them into custody, Broom Girl silently walks up to her and shocks her with magic, overloading her brooch and knocking her out. Once Siobhan's down, Broom Girl walks up to Lucy and gives them her broom.
104
105-->'''Broom Girl:''' take this. you need to get somewhere safe, ''quickly''. a friend’s house, not an address that’d be on your record. ''fly low'', don’t get caught. and stay put wherever you go until we can find you. man, I wish tetsu were here, I hate planning on the fly.\
106'''Lucy:''' But why should I do any of that?! I didn’t do anything wrong! She said she didn’t care how we win and I –-\
107'''Broom Girl:''' Lucy. Listen. Forget about the contest, forget about winning, forget about what’s ''fair''. The magistration ''doesn’t care''. They’d kill you for what you just did.
108
109As the seriousness of what she just said sinks in, Broom Girl explains that whatever Lucy did to Ana is so unusual she's not even sure what it ''was''. Because of this, and because it seems like something a husk would do, the powers that be wouldn't take kindly to it. Lucy, still panicking, protests that they're ''not'' a husk, but Broom Girl's not phased. She tells them that ''Tetsu's'' the one who knows about husks and husk-related phenomena and will be able to tell Lucy what's up with them. Telling them that she sees them as a friend in trouble, she sends them on their way.
110
111As Lucy careens away, they make eye contact with Ana one last time and are shocked to see her eyes are now dark. Broom Girl examines Ana, reassuring her that her eyes still have a little bit of red in them, but as she offers to help, January interrupts. She's furious that Broom Girl attacked Siobhan, not believing her when she says she was saving Lucy from being killed. They get into a brief argument about monstrous behavior and the mechanics of huskhood, but January's misinformed belief that husks eat their familiars makes Ana realize that Merrylegs has disappeared.
112
113With that dramatic piece of news, we cut to Lucy touching down on a rooftop. They look around to make sure nobody can see them, then try to use the magic they took from Ana. When it doesn't work, they collapse on themselves in frustration. Even though they're alone, they do their best to hold back tears. Lucy tries to figure out what to do next, and Tobi, who lives across the street from where they landed, overhears them talking to themselves. He asks what they're doing, and they tell him everything.
114
115Before Tobi can react, Peony rushes to the door and starts hollering. Startled, Lucy slips off the roof, narrowly avoiding hurting themselves by grabbing the broom, and Peony rushes down to street level to help them. She hugs them and [[MotorMouth excitedly]] offers for them to stay over. She's particularly excited about the possibility of Lucy meeting Su-Yeong at the bakery and befriending her. When Tobi tells Lucy they can't tell anyone about Su-Yeong, they point out that they're in just as much danger as she is. With much less alacrity than Peony, Tobi invites Lucy to stay.
116----
117[[LaconicWiki In summary]]: The fifth round of the magic competition. The six remaining contestants pair up for straightforward duels, eliminating Tetsu and Philomena in a fairly straightforward fashion. Everything goes to hell when Lucy, at the end of their rope, displays an unprecedented ability to steal magic and leaves Ana drained.
118!!!Tropes
119* AbusiveParents: Rothart's treatment of Lucy is apathetic to the point that they interpret his behavior during the past week as him secretly wishing Su-Yeong had killed them.
120* BadassNormal: Philomena before getting her magic at the age of fifteen. She is/was the national heavyweight champion in four sports: young women's wrestling, weightlifting, shot put, and boxing.
121* BerserkButton: January patronizing Philomena.
122* BewareTheNiceOnes: Philomena doesn't ''want'' to fight January, because she's scared of the chance that she might win and thus cost January Lapointe's sponsorship. This doesn't stop her from flipping her nine feet into the air when she patronizes her.
123* BlatantLies:
124** [[http://www.neversatisfiedcomic.com/comic/chapter-7-page-20 "Uh. Made a pass at a girl?"]]
125** [[http://www.neversatisfiedcomic.com/comic/chapter-7-page-24 "IT'S TRASH TALK!"]]
126** [[http://www.neversatisfiedcomic.com/comic/chapter-7-page-39 "Yeah, sure! You caught me! Was trying to cut out your competition!"]]
127* BroomstickQuarterstaff: Broom Girl utilizes her broom as a weapon during her fight with Tetsu.
128* BookEnds: The chapter opens and closes with [[TitleDrop the same dialogue]].
129* CallBack:
130** Philomena [[http://www.neversatisfiedcomic.com/comic/chapter-1-page-27 mentioned]] that Cedric was a chef's apprentice way back at the end of the ''[[Recap/NeverSatisfiedChapterOne third]]'' test round. We finally meet said chef [[http://www.neversatisfiedcomic.com/comic/chapter-7-page-16 here]], 283 pages later.
131** In a similar vein, Siobhan mentions the potluck that the competitors (and Cedric) threw two weeks ago when she notices Lucy, who did not attend.
132** When Seiji [[http://www.neversatisfiedcomic.com/comic/chapter-7-page-20 lies about why he was in a fight]], he uses [[http://www.neversatisfiedcomic.com/comic/chapter-5-page-46 what his mother had assumed it was about]] as an excuse.
133** The page where Siobhan [[http://www.neversatisfiedcomic.com/comic/chapter-7-page-25 starts the test]] has the same layout as its counterparts in chapters [[http://www.neversatisfiedcomic.com/comic/chapter-1-page-8 one]] and [[http://www.neversatisfiedcomic.com/comic/chapter-4-page-15 four]].
134** Back in [[http://www.neversatisfiedcomic.com/comic/chapter-4-page-2 chapter four]], January was, like, level a hundred. [[http://www.neversatisfiedcomic.com/comic/chapter-7-page-41 A week later]], she's graduated to, like, level a million.
135** "Are you watching the seeker stone ''[[http://www.neversatisfiedcomic.com/comic/chapter-6-page-55 again]]'', Thierry?"
136** Ana, when asking why Lucy is still in the competition, [[http://www.neversatisfiedcomic.com/comic/chapter-7-page-67 inadvertently echoes]] [[http://www.neversatisfiedcomic.com/comic/chapter-4-page-36 what they themselves told Peony]] last week.
137--->'''Lucy:''' I can't do anything! I ''can't'' "zap" anyone, or protect you! I can't even protect myself! I don't know why I keep trying... I shouldn't even be here...\
138'''Ana:''' You can’t do anything. You can’t defend yourself. You shouldn’t be here.
139** The panel layout when Lucy [[http://www.neversatisfiedcomic.com/comic/chapter-7-page-73 absorbs Ana's whip]] while everyone looks on in shock echoes the layout when [[http://www.neversatisfiedcomic.com/comic/chapter-4-page-52 Su-Yeong started to channel through Lucy]].
140%%* Once again, Broom Girl [[http://www.neversatisfiedcomic.com/comic/chapter-1-page-25 pats Lucy on the head]].
141* CharacterOverlap: Siobhan of ''Webcomic/RiversideExtras'' proctors the test.
142* CliffHanger: The [[ActBreak intermission]] is positioned right before Ivy has her talk with Thierry.
143* CrushBlush:
144** Seiji, for a good portion of his conversation with Sylas, most notably when Sylas grins at him on page 21 and when Sylas grabs him by the collar on pages 37 and 38.
145** January, when Philomena shows off her strength and asserts she isn't a pushover.
146* CrushFilter: [[http://www.neversatisfiedcomic.com/comic/chapter-7-page-21 "Yeah, that sounds about right. I'm sure you had it coming."]]
147* CrystalBall: Ivy chides Thierry for watching the seeker stone ''again''.
148* FlyingBroomstick: How Tetsu and Broom Girl show up to the test.
149* HappyPlace: How Su-Yeong calms down when Tetsu annoys her. A pastoral meadow featuring baby goats, peonies, and Peony.
150* HeroicBSOD: Lucy mentally shuts down in response to Ana's verbal abuse.
151* InnocentlyInsensitive: Even though Tetsu and Isra are deliberately irritating Su-Yeong to coach her on managing her anger in a controlled environment, neither of them seem to realize that their incessant curiosity is bothering her as well as the things they do on purpose.
152* KnowWhenToFoldEm: Ivy points out that, after last week's fiasco, it's in Lucy's best interests to quit the competition entirely. Lucy refuses, as they've been hinging their entire self-worth on the competition.
153* NeckLift: Lucy to Ana on page 77.
154* NoBodyLeftBehind: After her fight with Lucy ends poorly, Ana realizes that Merrylegs has vanished entirely.
155* ObliviousToLove: Sylas smugly spells out Seiji's type to the letter without realizing that he's the template for it, then assumes that Seiji got into a fight with January to better Sylas' odds with Philomena.
156* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: What happens when January, a "level a million" guard apprentice, squares off with Philomena, a national heavyweight champion? We see the very beginning of their fight, and the resulting property damage to the wall, fountain, floor, and foliage, but the majority of the round happens while the narrative is focused on Ivy's scene with Thierry.
157* OOCIsSeriousBusiness:
158** Siobhan is introduced as ebullient and friendly, enjoying the first two fights with relish and enthusiastically congratulating all participants. But when Lucy uses a dramatic, unprecedented magical attack to end their fight with Ana, she's immediately stern and protective.
159** Broom Girl has been [[TheSilentBob soft-spoken]] and hard to provoke since chapter one, but when Lucy's in danger of being subdued and captured, she drops Siobhan without a word and tells Lucy in no uncertain terms what they must do to stay safe.
160* PerkyGoth: Su-Yeong.
161* TitleDrop: Twice. Once [[IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming at the beginning]] from Ivy, and once [[BookEnds at the end]] from Tobi.
162* TournamentArc: The chapter centers on the fifth round of the representative competition.
163* TwoPartEpisode: Like [[Recap/NeverSatisfiedChapterFour the last test round]], this chapter is heavy-duty and had a two-week break between pages 49 and 50.
164* VisibleSigh:
165** Seiji when relieved that Sylas isn't mad at him anymore.
166** Philomena when January finally starts taking her seriously.
167** Lucy panting after defeating Ana in their fight.
168* VolumetricMouth: Lucy's cry of pain on the last panel of [[http://www.neversatisfiedcomic.com/comic/chapter-7-page-65 page 65]].
169* WhamEpisode: [[http://www.neversatisfiedcomic.com/comic/chapter-7-page-49 Page 49]] reveals that Thierry is a peacock husk who spends the majority of his time hiding in his bedroom.

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