Helios' curtain of rolling fire cuts swiftly across the battlefield--and yet, somehow, despite all odds, the Classical Zombie is swifter. It places itself between the flames and the Ballet Zombie, a ghostly hint of its former unnatural grace appearing. The flames burn and batter its beaten form, charring more of its ragged finery into ash, but it--and its top hat, remain standing. The Classical Zombie unfolds its arms and stands a little bit taller, the eldritch flames burning in its single remaining, half-rotted eye.

And then Nope swipes at its top hat from behind, the silken creation vanishing with a pop like a soap bubble being struck.

The bones of the Classical Zombie do not even strike the floor. They are sand, red sand, mixed with ashes before the once-resilient creature finishes collapsing. The red ribbon of Ariadne's thread flutters down over the diminishing pile, twisting oddly. For a moment, Ariadne could swear that it took the form of a snake. For a moment, Nope sees a bloodred eye wink at him within the remains.

"In that, you and I agree," a voice says at Helios' left ear, carrying with it a breath of hot desert wind.

The Ballet Zombie is not quite quick enough to avoid Ariadne's threads, cutting strips from itself as the scarlet lines strike. It begins to move away, snarling itself in the threading even as it goes... and then freezes, stock still. It sags as the force that animated it simply shuts off, becoming a corpse in all aspects once more. And even as Ariadne within Kal's mind seizes the chance to tear her foe apart, the Ballet Zombie bursts with a sound like a poorly-played kazoo, erupting into streamers of red that form into sand and then simply vanish.

The sound of enthusiastic applause from a single pair of hands cuts through the air. Around the corner, beaming from ear to ear, walks Apophis, his hair and suit unruffled, his eyes red and gleaming. "A moment, please," the mad chaos being states, holding his hands far apart, his expression one of exaggerated seriousness. "We will certainly meet in battle, the way things are going. I might even lose, if it's entertaining enough. I have no intention of fighting you directly tonight, however, so before you get on with your heroics let me ask you this: do all of you..." His gaze takes in the half-transformed Floral, Nope reeling and spinning, Ariadne still holding herself back slightly from a phantom urge to dance, and Helios' healing cuts and bruises from his flight out the window, "want to fight with me... now?"

Spoiler: OOC
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Battle is over! For the moment, at least. Everyone take a Hero Point!