Chapter 21: Exams to Survive
Art by Crash X Fusion: It's Time to Duel!
The Hexside semester exams have arrived, and each student is determined to show their strength in order to pass.
Tropes that appear in this Chapter:
- 13 Is Unlucky: Boscha thought out 13 different strategies to defeat Luz. The one she chose is the most brutal.
- The Ace: Along with Amity in Abominations; Simon Saltstar is the top student of Hexside's Construction Track, Amelia mentions she was the best of the Plant Track before Willow was placed in it and Cat is the top student in the Healing Track.
- Berserk Button: The second Simon calls Willow a vegan, she goes all out since she loves plants and (to her) he's comparing her to Beast Keepers.
- The Bet: At Anu Bist's request, Principal Bump allows the troublemakers to use their mixed-magic techniques in the exam duels and makes them a deal; if they can apply their talents and impress the judges, he'll allow them to become the first students to take multi-track classes.
- Big Sister Instinct: Seeing Amity's struggling to stay away from Luz now that she knows she's fallen for her, Emira encourages her sister to talk to Luz rather than listen to their mother.
- Breaking the Fellowship: Discussed. Luz worries that once the troublemakers pass the exams, they probably won't hang out anymore. The others assure her they'll still be friends.
- Brick Joke: Back in "Friendship Dynamics", Luz decided to call Amity's abomination "Phil". After Amity's duel against Dolly Tempus, she calls it Phil as well, showing the name stuck.
- Bully Brutality: Once Boscha's disoriented Luz, she doesn't hesitate to savagely assault her, injuring her as she tells her why she hates her so much.
- Call-Back: What Willow meant by never asking Luz to protect her from Boscha in "The Conjuring Conflict" is revealed.
- Chekhov's Skill: Amity's time in the illusion track pays off, as she uses an illusion on herself and her abomination to get behind Dolly and knock her out.
- Cliffhanger: Skara is unable to break through to Bo, the duels between Viney & Jerbo and Barcus & Mattholomule are undecided, and Luz is being savagely beaten by Boscha with no one being allowed to interfere with the match to help her.
- Create Your Own Villain: A flashback reveals that Luz threatened Boscha to stop picking on Willow, starting their rivalry and Boscha's desire for revenge against her.
- Creepy Child: Dolly Tempus.
- Crazy-Prepared: Boscha's plan, which relied on Luz charging at her, was to utilize a potion that causes hallucinations while making Luz's body go numb.
- Crush Blush: Amity starts doing this due to discovering her feelings for Luz. Emira also does it around Viney and when she supports her in her duel.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Luz and Boscha's duel descends into this, on Boscha's side.
- Downer Ending: See Cliffhanger above.
- Elemental Armor: Simon utilizes Construction magic to create flexible stone armor in his duel with Willow.
- Establishing Character Moment: Three.
- Simon Saltstar's personality is described simply by his appearance and mentioning that he works out daily.
- Cat's prowess in the Healing track is shown by her utilizing her knowledge on pressure points.
- Dolly Tempus describes her dream to be graduating, working at the Emperor's Coven, usurping the Coven system and then working in the Underworld. After that, she talks to her doll.
- Eye Color Change:
- Dolly's eyes glow purple when her duel against Amity begins.
- When she becomes furious at Simon, Willow's eyes turn green.
- Just as it seems like Boscha has defeated her, Luz's eyes begins glowing blue...
- Fighting Your Friend: Due to the previous challenge, Skara and Bo qualify even with Bo not considering them friends at the moment. Played straight with Viney and Jerbo, who end up facing each other out of pure chance but agree not to hold back.
- Flashback B-Plot: Here, we learn how Luz became enemies with Boscha: Luz threatened Boscha to stay away from Willow, injuring her throat and causing her to ditch school and head home scared and angry.
- Foreshadowing: Cat using her magic to be dramatic will have some importance later.
- Given Name Reveal: The last names of Boscha, Amelia, Cat and Bo are "Hieron", "Regal", "Harwitch" and "Row", respectively.
- The Gloves Come Off:
- Once Simon insults Willow, not only does she flex hard enough that her muscles tear her sleeves, she makes a tree grow and vines erupt from under her.
- The second Luz is weakened, Boscha doesn't hold back on beating her to a pulp.
- Hate Sink: Craig the coven guard cements himself as this for allowing Boscha to severely injure Luz to send a message to Eda, allowing no one to intervene or stop the duel and intending to arrest Principal Bump for allowing the child of a known criminal to attend Hexside.
- Hidden Depths: To Gus's surprise, Cat shows off a very dramatic Large Ham personality while battling him.
- Large Ham: Cat demonstrates a surprising flair for theatrics during her battle against Gus. He even lampshades it.
- Laser-Guided Amnesia: Puck suffers from this, as he can't remember any of the past friends he made.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Luz gets put through the wringer by Boscha for all the crap she put the triclops through.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: Cat states she's not just some extra, no matter what everyone (in universe or out) thought.
- Leeroy Jenkins: Luz charges right in once her duel against Boscha starts. Unfortunately, Boscha was counting on that as part of her strategy to take Luz down.
- Mage Killer: Cat shows knowledge on blocking pressure points to subdue someone.
- Mushroom Samba: To throw Luz off her game, Boscha uses a rainbow smoke potion that causes hallucinations that mess with her senses slowly making Luz's body go numb until it shuts down in 10 minutes.
- Never My Fault: What does Boscha say when she stomps on Luz's leg as she tries to crawl away? "Look what you made me do."
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Boscha's brutal attacks in the duel might never've happened had Luz not taken the first shot against her.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Luz isn't startled by Gus popping up out of nowhere this time because she's too busy thinking about Amity's strange behavior towards her.
- The Paralyzer: Cat hits a pressure point on Gus' arm so he can't use it, forcing him to keep his distance from her.
- Pet the Dog: Unlike the rest of Amity's, later Boscha's posse, Cat genuinely wanted to befriend Luz when she started out at Hexside. Granted, she only wanted to style her Messy Hair, but still.
- Police Are Useless: Played for Drama. Craig refuses to stop the match between Luz and Boscha when the latter begins ruthlessly injuring the former in order to send a message to Eda.
- Power-Strain Blackout: After launching their final attacks, Willow and Simon end up passing out and their duel is declared a tie. Willow attributes her sudden strength to all the years of pent up rage she has.
- Quest for Identity: As it turns out, Puck's on a downplayed one as he's trying to remember the friends he made in the past and how he can...fly, apparently.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Boscha delivers one to Luz as she continues to mercilessly attack her.Boscha: Do you honestly think that trying to act and pretend like a witch would earn you respect? Think, Luz; in this world you're judged by your appearance, personality, the magic you have. Reality check: you don't have any magic, you're a shitty asshole, and do you know what pisses me off about you? Everyone tries to justify who you are but I see who you really are, even Willow thinks so too. You will never be one of us.
- The Reveal:
- Puck has amnesia and can't remember anyone he befriended in the past.
- Luz attacked Boscha on her first day at Hexside and threatened her to stay away from Willow.
- Mattholomule's mother transfered him from Glandus High to Hexside when he came home with a bruised lip and a broken arm.
- The identities of the top students of the healing and construction tracks.
- Shout-Out:
- The Shadow Realm from Yu-Gi-Oh! is used for make up and remedial classes.
- Dolly Tempus is based off of Shirley Temple while her doll, Jojo, is inspired by Annabelle.
- Simon's armor is an homage to Kamen Rider Gai from Kamen Rider Ryuki.
- Boscha's Never My Fault brings to mind a certain moment in the Amphibia second season finale.
- Take That!: To the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise: Craig dismisses the idea of having a tournament-style contest for the witches's duels because there's no time or healthcare for it.
- Wham Episode: Puck has amnesia and knows Anu Bist, Cat gets sent to the Shadow Realm for losing her duel against Gus, Willow and Amity also pass their duels and Boscha beats up Luz to the point of causing some kind of power activation.
- Why Did You Make Me Hit You?: Boscha crushing Luz's leg and saying she made her do it.
- "X" Marks the Hero: Simon has an X-shaped scar on his left cheek.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Willow assures Amelia she doesn't have to be the best to prove she's talented.
- Younger Than They Look: Discussed: Simon is 14 but since he works out and went through witch puberty, he looks and sounds like he's in his 20's.
