The twins barely had a moment to breathe after escaping the Gojo zombie in the narrow hallway. As they burst into the convention lobby, they stumbled upon a scene that was beyond horrifying: dozens of zombie cosplayers shuffled around the room, some stumbling aimlessly while others lurched with purpose, as though guided by an unseen force.

The lobby, once a hub of excitement and life, was now a nightmare. Costumed fans who had transformed into zombies staggered through the space, each one dressed as a different anime character, creating a twisted parody of the cheerful convention atmosphere. The sight was surreal—undead versions of beloved characters like Naruto, Sailor Moon, and even a hulking Pikachu lumbered around, their costumes torn and spattered with blood.

Taylor and Amy froze, scanning the horde in front of them, realizing that escape would be far from easy.

“Are we trapped?” Amy whispered, tightening her grip on her prop katana. Her eyes darted around, searching for a break in the line of zombies.

“No,” Taylor replied, his face set with determination. “We’re getting through this. We just need to stick together and improvise.” He glanced around the lobby, quickly spotting a nearby vendor’s booth with replica weapons and cosplay props. Darting forward, he grabbed a sturdy-looking baseball bat from the display and tossed it to Amy.

She caught it with a nod, exchanging her katana for the bat. “This might not be real, but it’s got some weight to it,” she muttered, testing its balance.

The First Encounter with the Horde

Before they could prepare further, the Gojo zombie from the hallway had caught up to them, and it wasn’t alone. More zombies turned their heads in eerie synchronization, focusing their dead gazes on the twins. With a low, guttural growl, the Gojo zombie lunged forward, leading the charge.

Taylor braced himself, raising his prop sword, which suddenly felt like a flimsy stick compared to the undead threat in front of him. But he had no choice. As the Gojo zombie closed in, he swung hard, aiming for the head. His sword struck with a thud, causing the zombie to stumble backward. Taylor followed up with a swift kick to its chest, pushing it further away.

Meanwhile, Amy was dealing with a zombie Naruto. She gripped the baseball bat tightly, took a deep breath, and swung with all her might, connecting with the zombie’s jaw. The force of the impact sent it reeling, but it kept coming, groaning as it staggered forward. Without hesitation, she swung again, this time knocking it to the ground.

“Stick and move,” Taylor shouted, sidestepping another zombie dressed as Ash Ketchum. “Don’t let them surround you!”

Creative Tactics and Weapon Improvisation

The twins quickly realized that their current weapons wouldn’t be enough to hold off the horde indefinitely. They needed more firepower, more creativity. Taylor’s eyes scanned the lobby, landing on an abandoned cosplay booth filled with various props.

“Follow me!” he yelled, dashing toward the booth. Amy followed, her heart pounding as they grabbed anything remotely useful. Taylor picked up a large metal staff prop while Amy found a discarded riot shield from a zombie in Attack on Titan cosplay. She strapped the shield onto her arm, feeling a bit more secure.

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Armed with their new gear, they pushed forward, forming a rough strategy as they moved. Taylor would take the offensive, swinging the metal staff to clear a path, while Amy covered him with the shield, blocking any zombies that tried to close in on them.

“Watch out!” Amy cried, pushing back a zombie dressed as Goku with her shield. It stumbled, giving Taylor an opening to strike with his staff, knocking it to the floor.

Zombie Cosplay Gauntlet

As they made their way through the lobby, the twins encountered a variety of zombie cosplayers, each one more disturbing than the last. A zombified Pikachu shambled toward them, its eyes dull and lifeless, yellow fur matted with blood. Taylor grimaced as he brought the staff down on its head, feeling a pang of horror at the twisted innocence of the scene.

Next, a Sailor Moon zombie staggered forward, one of its pigtails hanging loose as it groaned and clawed at the air. Amy swung the baseball bat, smashing it aside, but the sight of the once-cheerful character now reduced to this grotesque form left her shaken.

“It’s like they’re being controlled,” she muttered, as more zombies turned their heads in eerie unison toward them.

“I don’t think they’re just…randomly infected,” Taylor replied, his voice tense. “It’s like something’s…driving them.”

The realization settled heavily on them both. If there was a force behind the outbreak, then escaping the convention wouldn’t just be about dodging zombies—it would mean fighting against something with intent.

Encounter with a Brute

As they continued fighting their way through the horde, they suddenly heard a deep, guttural roar that shook them to their core. Turning, they saw a hulking zombie dressed in what used to be full-body armor—a brute cosplay from Doom Slayer. The armor had dents and tears, and the eyes behind the helmet glowed faintly with an eerie green light.

“Oh no,” Taylor muttered. “That thing’s massive!”

The brute zombie charged at them, its steps heavy and relentless. Amy braced herself, holding up the shield, but the impact was so powerful it sent her stumbling back, barely keeping her footing.

Taylor swung his metal staff, trying to distract the brute, but the zombie barely flinched. The brute swung a heavy arm toward him, forcing Taylor to roll out of the way, his heart racing.

“Amy, we need to work together!” he shouted.

Amy steadied herself and raised the shield again. “On it. I’ll draw its attention—go for the legs!”

She banged the shield, making as much noise as possible. The brute turned toward her, snarling. Taylor seized the moment, aiming a powerful swing of his staff at the back of its knees. The brute stumbled, its balance faltering.

“Again!” Amy yelled, blocking another swing with her shield.

Taylor took a deep breath, then struck again, this time using all his strength. The brute’s knees buckled, and it fell forward with a heavy thud. Without hesitating, Taylor brought his staff down on its head repeatedly until it finally stopped moving.

They stood there, panting, staring at the fallen brute.

“That…was close,” Amy breathed, her eyes wide.

“Too close,” Taylor replied, wiping sweat from his brow. “Let’s keep moving.”

Pushing Through the Last of the Horde

With the brute down, they pressed forward, fighting off the remaining zombies in the lobby. Their movements became more fluid, their teamwork instinctive. Every swing, every block, and every step was carefully coordinated.

As they neared the escalators leading to the upper floors, the twins could see a small group of survivors waving frantically, trying to get their attention.

“Up here! Hurry!” one of them shouted.

Taylor and Amy exchanged a quick glance, then nodded. This was their chance to regroup and hopefully find a safer place to plan their next move.

With one last push, they fought their way to the escalators, racing up to meet the survivors, leaving the horde of cosplay zombies behind—at least for now.