....1....

The Mystery Machine rumbled down the dark road, carrying its exhausted crew home after their latest case, where the means had yet to show actual relevance to the scheme. Tonight, there was a ghost pirate haunting a silver mine, which was later revealed to be a man named Stephen Tobin, who was trying to excavate silver for himself. It would make more sense in context, but let us not dive into that. Instead, I am more focused on what happened after. Like in the van, for example? "Like, we need a break," Shaggy said as he and Scooby sat in the back of the mystery machine. He rested his elbow on the interior of the van as the palm of his hand brushed against the stubble stretching from ear to ear. Scooby was lying down with his head between his front legs and his ears drooping like hanged-up towels. Purple bruises dotted their arms and legs from where the 'Ghost Pirate' had grabbed them, and each pothole sent jolts of pain through their bruised bodies. Two years of being monster bait had taken its toll, and tonight's chase was the last straw.

"I second that," Scooby agreed without skipping a beat.

"Come on, guys! Don't you like solving mysteries?" Fred asked.

"When have we ever said 'yes' to that question?" Scooby asked rhetorically. Silence befell the van as they continued down the long dirt road back to Coolsville.

Daphne crossed her arms over her chest, leaned back, and broke the silence, "Freddy, we've been mystery 'hunting' nonstop for weeks. I think we all need some time to clear our heads."

"With those two?" Velma added dryly, "That shouldn't take long." 

"You know what? Sure, we'll stop tomorrow, and the next day, we'll be right back on the road."

"Oh, no way, man!" Shaggy sat up straighter, his voice taking on the rampant desperation of an appeal, "By 'break,' we don't mean a day of cooldown."

"We want a vacation," said Scooby.

"Somewhere fun. Somewhere relaxing. Somewhere with no spooks, no creeps, no... anything bordering the scary!" Shaggy's words reverberated through the gang's heads as Fred drove down the dark dirt road.

....2....

Meanwhile, the VRMMO (virtual reality massive multiplayer online game) Alfheim Online was in the midst of a major update; therefore, players were posting YouTube videos online reporting on what was to come, including new sword skills, spells, and dungeons along with new boss battles. The cozy warmth of the log cabin nestled deep within the woods provided a rare sense of peace for Kirito, Asuna, and Yui. The fireplace crackled softly, casting flickering shadows on the wooden walls. Yui sat cross-legged on the rug, absorbed in arranging her collection of glowing crystals, while Asuna prepared a hearty stew in the small kitchen.

Kirito leaned back in one of the chairs, absently polishing his sword. His expression, however, betrayed his concern.

"I heard about the new floor boss," Kirito began, breaking the comfortable silence. "People are calling her the Witchmaster. Sounds like a nightmare to deal with."

Asuna glanced over her shoulder. "Witchmaster? That's... unusual. What's her gimmick?"

Kirito leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "She controls a coven of witches—NPCs that act like her personal bodyguards. They're relentless and use synchronized attacks. Firestorms, poison curses, even teleportation to ambush players from behind. A whole raid team got wiped last night because they couldn't keep track of them."

"Teleportation?" Asuna frowned, stirring the pot. "That's not something we've dealt with before. How did the raid group even manage to damage her?"

"They didn't," Kirito admitted. "The witches shield her constantly. If you attack her directly, she just summons more."

Yui looked up from her crystals, her wide eyes filled with concern. "Papa, are you going to fight her?"

Kirito smiled gently at her. "Of course. But I'll make sure we're prepared first."

Asuna walked over, ladle in hand. "If the witches are that powerful, we'll need to plan out roles carefully. Maybe take out the witches first before focusing on the boss."

"Easier said than done," Kirito replied. "The witches respawn after a few minutes, and they're unpredictable. We'll need to divide the group and keep them occupied while a smaller team works on breaking the Witchmaster's defenses."

Yui tilted her head. "What about using status effects? Can you silence the witches so they can't cast spells?"

Asuna tapped her chin thoughtfully. "That could work. A paralysis potion or an anti-magic debuff might help us manage their numbers. We'll also need someone with high AoE damage to thin out the coven quickly."

Kirito nodded, his mind racing with strategies. "We'll scout the area first and look for any weaknesses in her lair. If we can figure out the pattern of the witches' movements, we might find an opening."

Yui beamed up at them. "I know you'll win, Daddy and Mommy! You're the strongest!"

Asuna knelt to hug Yui. "With a cheerleader like you, how could we not?"

....3....

It was another hot summer day in Coolsville when tourism greatly impacted the local economy. Kids and adults show up to surf, girls show off their beach bodies to the boys, and Shaggy and Scooby go to another country to experience it someplace else. Their packs were bulging as they were stuffed with travel guides, video games, and snacks to eat on the plane. The two of them had been packing all morning and checking the Japanese news feed to see if there were any monster sightings—to avoid them as much as possible. Their track record for vacations not turning into cases was not the best. Scooby scrolled through stories on the Asahi Shimbun website before seeing one that caused a pretty strong reaction. Yelp!

"Like, Scoob. What's the..." Shaggy's body retreated from the computer screen. The website showed a picture of a black-hooded character with a skull face and red glowing eyes. "It's over," Shaggy flopped down onto the floor. "Vacation's over."

"Umm, Raggy?"

"Well gang, looks like we got another mystery to solve," Shaggy imitated Fred.

"Raggy."