Ah yes, future AU (Alternate Universes). One of my favorite tropes in fanfiction, not so much as a plot point in an actual anime though. I don’t know; it always feels like such a lazy cop out and then you go into thoughts about time travel and the Butterfly Effect, and everything just gets so convoluted. But it does prove useful sometimes, like with Trunks in Dragon Ball Z going back to the past to save his future. But I don’t think a toddler like Alas Ramus from the future would make a ton of sense in something like The Devil Is A Part-Timer.

Lucky for us, Alas Ramus is not from the future at all. The adoptive daughter of Sadao Maou and Emi Yusa isn’t biologically related to them. In fact, there isn’t much biological to her at all, considering she’s not actually a child but a piece of magical fruit with a body. So, there goes that whole ‘child from the future’ thing that Sailor Moon pulled with Chibiusa. However, that doesn’t mean the three didn’t share a found family dynamic that was equal parts cute and frustrating. But frustration just seems to be on brand from The Devil is A Part-Timer.

While time travel isn’t really a thing here on Earth or on Ente Isla, aka the alternate world Sadao and Emi came from, dimensional travel certainly is. Though sadly, it’s not like Alas Ramus’s role in the story was utilized properly. She was brought in to build the chemistry between Sadao and Emi, only to disappear later on when it turned out Emi was not the girl he ended up with. So, it’s understandable where the confusion comes from. However, I don’t think it would’ve mattered, either way, considering how the light novel series ended pretty abruptly.

Maybe there were more plans for Alas Ramus in the long run that had to be cut short because of a rushed ending. But let’s discuss that and more in a segment of Lore Analysis – where we take a closer look at the plot of famous manga and anime to see what made them great but also why they flopped. Today, it’s Satan working minimum wage on the chopping block. Let’s dive in!

Alas Ramus: The Adoptive Daughter Between Two Rivals

Let’s face it, Sadao and Emi couldn’t stand each other. But that’s what made their dynamic so fun! When they started getting more familiar with one another, it quickly became clear that their whole ‘Nemesis’ schtick was clearly based on misunderstandings.

However, the real turning point in their relationship came when the two became reluctant parent figures to a Yesod fragment that became sentient, named Alas Ramus. She would constantly refer to the two as her papa and her mama, creating a dynamic neither of them had experienced before, aka a family.

Turns out, the connection between Sadao and Emi runs pretty deep. Lailah, Emi’s mother, had saved Sadao around 300 years ago when his entire tribe was killed by a rogue demon. She was constantly by his side until he recovered and then left him with a purple crescent-shaped crystal. It was because of Lailah and her guidance that Sadao, aka Satan, rose as the Demon Lord and united the demon race into one single empire. The crystal, however, he planted in a garden within his castle, and it grew into a tree. That tree was what bore Alas Ramus.

How Alas Ramus Changed Sadao Maou

It’s easy to see what Alas Ramus was meant to signify here; a fateful connection between Sadao and Emi that was deeper than anyone else they had met before. I mean, the two were coded as classic enemies-to-lovers. The chemistry between the two was no joke. In The Devil is A Part-Timer, their banter and dynamic is what made the show fun. Introducing Alas Ramus was just the cherry on top.

Alas ramus helps drive the ‘redeemed villain’ trope home, showing off Sadao’s softer and more empathetic side. He’s gentle with her, if cautious at first. However, he slowly warms up to her and continues to dote on her. Turns out, he was more than the Evil Warlord that conquered lands casually, he was capable of keeping it together and helping out a child in need.

And Emi, though suspicious at first, grows to respect that. They have once sworn enemies, and here they are now, in a foreign land, with only themselves as companions that know their truth. And now they have to take care of this child that is a remnant of the world they used to share. So, the two swallow their pride to reluctantly care for Alas Ramus.

I mean, they were still antagonistic towards one another, but it was much more subdued, reduced to being friendly banter.

Alas Ramus helped bring their dynamic out from resentment to something that resembled begrudging respect. And hey, she did it while being extremely cute at all times!