Boogeyman

Post-DSOD, supernatural entities start targetting Ryou. While figuring out why, he fights them with the help of his friends. On top of that, Bakura reappears, followed by Thief King Bakhura―and it definitely doesn't help when Ryou instigates/ends up in a very complicated (and physical) relationship with the two.

Eventually, the mystery unravels. The final entity reveals to Ryou that he's been an anomaly for a very long time: He was supposed to die in that car crash as a kid, but due to being Bakura's destined host (the events of YGO needing to happen), the accident took Amane and his mother in exchange. This devastates him.

What Ryou and Yugi initally thought was a "new evil" born because the Millennium Items were disturbed once again during the events of DSOD is really just the Outer Gods now more aggressively trying to restore a long lost "balance" (Ryou has "died" a total of three times in YGO but is brought back each time because of Bakura/'s influence). As long as Ryou's borrowed lives are not "returned", entities will always be after him/attempt to take the lives of those around him as compensation.

"Death is your gift."

This AU started because of two things: ① the slew of fanart I see of Ryou beating Bakura up/threatening to throw the Ring away, ② Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer reminding me of Bakura 🤭 (demon, pale hair, black coat, Spike dresses like a punk vs JP Bakura talks like a street punk, Buffy is stronger than Spike vs Ryou defeats Bakura in Monster World). I'm like, ah yes. Tendercore jk.

Anyway, the story takes some inspiration from Buffy (scenes and lines are borrowed), but it's not a 1:1 AU. It's not a vampire AU either. This comic is actually inspired by dialogue from Buffy S6E10.