Plot[]
Hataraku Mao-sama! Light Novel Volume 1[]
The Devil Focuses On His Career for Monetary Purposes[]
Satan and Alciel appear on Earth
After losing a battle to the human forces, Satan and Alciel were forced to retreat and escape into The Gate. However, unable to navigate the portal, they get wrapped in an unfamiliar land. They eventually find themselves on Earth in the heart of Tokyo, Japan, the unfamiliar atmosphere and advanced civilization intriguing both demons. Upon emerging from a dark alley, the two are greeted by a pair of police officers, who the Devil King quickly identifies as humans. While they cannot communicate due to speaking different languages, the authorities assume them to be the victims of violent crime due to the injuries they sustained during battle. Alciel attempts to kill them using his magic, only to find himself unable to focus his powers. The Devil King realizes their bodies have taken on human forms and orders his subordinate not to use magic. After being taken to the police station for questioning, Satan magically hypnotizes the investigating officer and does some interrogating of his own. Through this, he discovers the name of their new world and location, also learning that magic is thought of as fantasy on Earth due to the lack of it. Satan acknowledges that opening another Gate could very well land them in a more dangerous world due to his inability to control it, deciding instead to conserve what little power he has left and try to survive on Earth until they can find a way to recover.
Room 201 - Villa Rosa Sasazuka
After forcing the hypnotized officer to release them, the two demons plan their next move, contemplating how they will obtain food and other necessities. Acknowledging their newfound weakness and human bodies, Satan ponders whether human life is the basis for all sentient beings. However, Alciel is disgusted by the idea, instead blaming their current state of being on the Gate. Realizing they can no longer subjugate the humans by force, they are left with little choice other than to obey the rules of Earth society and live as ordinary people. Satan and Alciel head to the Shibuya Ward Office to obtain a census registration and address, using magic to hypnotize the staff and forge official records. During their subsequent trip to the real estate office, the demons are directed to a rundown apartment house called Villa Rosa Sasazuka.
Maou learns about hospital bills
Satan realizes the house is vacant and expresses disgust that not even humans would want to live there, only to encounter the owner moments later. Miki Shiba introduces herself as the landlady, and while the Devil King is disgusted by her morbidly obese and decidedly ugly appearance, he cannot shake the strange fear that her presence invokes. As if driven by an unseen force, the demons sign the proper documents and move into Villa Rosa Sasazuka. However, they admit to having no other choice because any other landlord would've turned away two unemployed single men. Exhausted from his wounds, the Devil King falls ill and is picked up by an ambulance, the medical bill forcing him to hypnotize more humans to avoid paying.
The Demons apply for jobs
While signing job applications in a massive search for employment, they begin to use their new names, Satan as Sadao Maou and Alciel as Shirō Ashiya. During the following months, they obtain small jobs that pay by the day, but are left unemployed when the temp agency shuts down. Tired of their repeated misfortune, Maou deduces that searching instead for ways to regain their magic may be more productive. Thus, he resigns himself to work a new job while leaving Ashiya to research the subject in any way possible. The former Devil King obtains his first long-term job at the fast food giant MgRonald's, though his habit of eating the food results in poor nutrition, forcing Ashiya to shop for healthier alternatives in a way that strains their budget as little as possible. Less than six months into the job, Maou received a raise and became A-level staff, developing an intense pride in his work while slowly beginning to lose his more demonic traits, instead focusing on climbing the corporate ladder. This personality change noticeably disturbs Alciel, who fears his master has given up on returning to their previous lives.
"Sadao Maou" meets "Emi Yusa"
One day after receiving a lecture from Ashiya, Maou sets to work on his trusty bike through the rain. He then encounters a stern young woman taking shelter beneath a restaurant canopy, taking note of her natural beauty and youthful appearance. Ever the gentleman, the former Devil King kindly offers her his umbrella. He refuses her gratitude, inviting her for a complimentary meal at the Hatagaya MgRonald's before riding off into the rain. After enduring a stressful day at work, Maou encounters the mysterious woman again on a deserted street. He immediately senses hostility from her as they meet, reacting with surprise when she reveals herself as the Hero who ended his reign. Having discovered his true identity from the residual magic within his body, Emilia attempts to kill him with a knife, but he manages to evade her. While his attempts to reason with her fail, the Demon King recognizes her weapon as the same knife he purchased from a nearby store and deduces that she, too, was bereft of her supernatural powers upon arriving on Earth. They are then arrested by the police, who assume the dispute was a domestic feud between former lovers, much to both parties' dismay. After receiving a lecture from the officers, the Hero agrees to spare her nemesis for the moment. Maou questions what happened to his umbrella, but she claims to have thrown it out, insulting him more before storming off into the night.
Emilia "storms" the New Devil's Castle
While Maou decides to keep the ordeal a secret from his roommate, the two receive a visit from the Hero the following afternoon, her sudden intrusion causing the Demon King to choke on his lunch. Ashiya locks the doors and windows in a panic, forcing his master to explain her presence. He reluctantly recounts the previous night's events before telling him to open to door to silence Emilia's crying. After insulting their living conditions, the Hero claims she lives better despite being alone, leading Maou to question whether she has any friends. He then learns from her that the Archbishop Olba Meyer failed to reach the Gate in time, thus why she was all alone in Japan. Maou sees her new smartphone and sadly compares it to his basic model before admitting defeat, clearly puzzled that someone so young could live more comfortably than him, despite their remarkably similar conditions. He welcomes her to the "new Devil's Castle" before pronouncing his desire to become a full-time employee and amass wealth and power, though she dismisses his goals as stupid. Emilia admits she can't kill him and return to Ente Isla, claiming she will do so once she amasses enough power to complete both tasks. She then introduces herself as "Emi Yusa" and insults Satan's choice of a human name, slamming the door behind her as she leaves.
Trouble at work...
The next day at MgRonald's, Emi demands Maou to speak with her again that night. He reluctantly agrees to the meeting and manages to sell her a sandwich before she departs, though he is concerned by her forceful demand. Noticing the tense situation from a distance, his co-worker Chiho Sasaki appears confused by the conversation and questions whether or not Maou is acquainted with the customer. He reluctantly admits to knowing her, though Chiho quickly becomes jealous due to her crush on the Demon King, repeatedly questioning whether he finds her pretty. Maou guesses her reason for asking and tries to clear up her suspicions, though he quickly uses the appearance of more customers to change the subject. She becomes nervous upon learning that one of the clients has allergies, but Maou guides her through the situation, earning a look of admiration from the young trainee. She then questions whether or not he felt an Earthquake earlier, to which he affirms, but Chiho remains confused since no one besides them had experienced it. She then jealously asks whether or not his roommate is a girl, but Maou lays her suspicions to rest. Their conversation is then interrupted by Store ManagerMayumi Kisaki, who tells Chiho to inspect the restaurant for cleanliness and congratulates Maou for his exemplary performance. He asks her whether or not she experienced the Earthquake, but she denies it.
The Devil saves the Hero from a sniper!
During his meeting with Emi later that night, she questions whether or not he ever plans to return to Ente Isla, mentioning the honest lifestyle he had slowly built and even complimenting his talent in the workplace. She then offers to return home without harming him if he promises to live peacefully on Earth with Alciel, but Maou proclaims that he intends to return to Ente Isla and conquer it for himself. Offput by his answer, the Hero vows she will continue to pursue him until he is dead, but her nemesis remains undaunted by the status quo. He then peddles away on Dullahan, only to get a flat tire and crash. Emi instinctively helps him up and begins to mock him, but the Devil King instead laments the "wound" his bike received, but the duo is interrupted by several gunshots. They flee amidst continued bickering, escaping to a populated, well-lit street. Maou senses the sniper is using magical projectiles and deduces whoever it was must've come from Ente Isla, though he cannot find their attacker. He leaves her with this information before heading back home for the night.
Maou receives a mysterious text
While walking back home, Satan feels a suspicious presence and carefully surveys his surroundings on the way back to Villa Rosa Sasazuka, expressing concern that another assailant may be after him. Though he manages to arrive home without incident, the demons receive a knock on their door, revealing his stalker to be the Hero Emilia. She expresses no desire to harm them, shamefully admitting that she had dropped her purse and wallet along with it during their flight. Lacking the money to return to her apartment on the other side of town, Emi embarrassingly requests to spend the night. Though Ashiya is firmly against it, Maou mentions she has no reason or method to harm either of them before reluctantly allowing her to stay. He then gives her money so she can pay for a ride home the following day before heading off the bed, leaving the Hero alone. While speaking to Ashiya later that night, he admits feeling bad for his former nemesis after finding out she was alone in a strange world. The Demon General criticizes him for becoming complacent, but Maou claims he made her promise to stop stalking them. He then receives a mysterious text claiming that more Earthquakes will come, followed by a text from Chiho expressing fear of more tremors.
The Devil Goes On a Date in Shinjuku With This Girl From Work[]
The next day, Maou and Ashiya wake up to discover a konnyaku gel dish tossed with cucumber, vinegar, and miso paste. Guessing that Emi must've made it as repayment for spending the night, his loyal general tests the dish for poison, only to compliment the Hero's skills as a chef. The demons then discover the key on the floor, finding the door locked and their guest absent. Ashiya claims he would've taken the key with him was he in Emilia's position, earning an ironic jibe from his master.
The duo then leaves the apartment searching for Dullahan, finding his trusty transport in the hands of the police investigating the previous night's shooting. They return to Villa Rosa Sasazuka, only to be brought to the station for questioning, the officers revealing that the bike had been identified as belonging to them. With little other choice, the demons cite Emi as their emergency contact, forcing her to come to the station to handle the release documents. Once they are allowed to leave, the Hero chastises them for causing her even more trouble, but the Demon King shrugs off her complaints, claiming that it is only natural for demons to create problems for a hero. Unable to argue, she begins to insult their lifestyle, though Ashiya's dramatic responses, coupled with her angry tirade, attract the unwanted attention of several bystanders. Emi then leaves, warning Maou of her threatening call at work and confirming that someone is out to kill them both.
Relieved that the police hadn't accused him of the shooting, Maou takes his bike and returns home, pondering the text messages from Chiho he received. He deduces that the mysterious earthquakes only seem to occur around her, also noting that strange things began happening to her after they met. After being attacked by a magic assailant, he ponders if his presence could've affected the human around him. He also questions why no one else at MgRonald's suffers the same affliction as Chiho. Ashiya offhandedly suggests that Chiho might be connected to the mystery assailant. Though Maou doesn't want to consider the possibility, he decides to speak with her and investigate matters, agreeing to follow them at a distance in case an enemy appears. Ashiya then forces his master to cut his hair and buy new clothes before meeting with Chiho, much to the Demon King's irritation.
During their outing that afternoon, Maou and Chiho compliment each other's new clothing, agreeing to pay for the food as long as he is willing to listen to her concerns. While heading to the Barluxe Cafe, he probes Chiho to discover whether or not she has residual magic. Finding nothing suspicious, he instead notices her nervous behavior and rising body temperature, but remains oblivious to the meaning behind it. Upon reaching the restaurant, the Demon King chooses a table close to the window so that Ashiya can monitor them more closely. However, he remains unaware that Emi is also tailing the group. Once seated, Chiho explained that she began hearing a strange ringing in her ears, followed by a man's voice speaking another language. Maou suspects some magic is to blame for her experiences, though he responds politely to her claims. Happy that he understands her dilemma, she expresses her gratitude. Maou then chokes on his drink upon seeing Ashiya and Emi enter the cafe, his resulting behavior eliciting concern from his co-worker.
Chiho tries to tell him about her crush, but is interrupted by the sudden appearance of Emi, who quickly warns the teenage girl that nothing good will come of her relationship with Maou. Her words only anger Chiho, who begins to believe that Emi was his ex-girlfriend, and the resulting argument causes a scene. Although Maou and Ashiya attempt to stop the bickering girls, their pleas are interrupted by another Earthquake, causing the underground mall they were in to collapse and bury everyone underneath the rubble. Less than an hour later, Chiho wakes up beneath the rubble. Emi apologizes for her previous behavior before using magic to put the younger girl to sleep, then orders Maou to reveal himself. The Demon King emerges from the ruins, revealing that his legs have returned to demon form, and his horns have regrown, signifying the return of his powers. Emi prepares to summon her Sacred Sword to cut him down, but cannot bring herself to do so when the Demon King announces his intention to save the others injured in the cave-in. Maou clears away the rubble with his powers and heals the injuries of the victims, his kindness shocking the Hero. Out of power, he reverts to his human form just as the rescue team manages to find them.
Because Chiho's father is among the response unit, Maou recognizes him as the officer he had met the night they appeared on Earth. He then deduces that the hypnosis spell he used on Senichi Sasaki must've somehow affected his daughter. After Chiho leaves with her father, Emi questions Maou to learn how he regained his power, but he remains more concerned about who was behind the earthquake. The Demon King explains that whoever attacked them before was also responsible for the cave-in, though they most likely fled when his magical powers began to return. Emilia wonders how their mutual enemy could wield such strong magic on Earth while neither can, but Maou refuses to explain despite having several theories concerning the subject. Confident that the enemy will not immediately launch another attack, he and Ashiya leave. He notices an unfamiliar girl calling out to Emi from the crowd and jokingly mentions that she "actually" has friends before departing the scene. On their way back, Alciel apologizes for failing to protect his master from their enemies, humorously sobbing as he thanks Satan for saving his life. Embarrassed by his dramatic crying, Maou tells him to stop, and they head home.
The Devil and the Hero Stand Strong in Sasazuka[]
The following day Maou receives another visit from Emi, who had come to check up on them under the guise of returning the money she borrowed the previous night. Though he accepts the 1,000 yen reimbursement, Satan quickly determines her real reason for meeting them was to determine whether or not their powers had returned, and quickly dismisses her concerns. When asked about Ashiya, the Demon King notes that his servant's pride was wounded due to his inability to help during the crisis, and he was indisposed due to self-imposed grief. Maou then questions her well-being, knowing Emilia had used magic to put Chiho to sleep. Still, the Hero reacts disgustingly, unable to comprehend why her nemesis would express such genuine concern. Blinded by her deep-seated loathing, Emi storms out of the apartment, taking a nasty tumble down the stairs, resulting in several bruises and scrapes while causing her previous wounds to reopen. Concerned about her safety, Maou lends his bike to Ashiya, who heads off to the pharmacy to fetch more medical supplies. Surprised by his servant's sudden willingness to spend money, the Demon King questions whether or not they can spring for better quality meals in the future. While Ashiya admits to having hidden a secret stash of money for emergencies, he refuses, subsequently leaving on board Dullahan.
Sadao then offers to tend to the Hero's wounds, but she refuses to allow him to touch her and takes the disinfectant spray for herself, his gentle words and displays of kindness only increasing the tension. Unable to contain her emotions, Emilia tosses the medicine bottle at her host, angrily questioning how someone capable of such kindness could have been responsible for so much death in Ente Isla. The unexpected sharpness of her query strikes resonates with the Demon King, though he remains silent when she elaborates on the unspeakable horrors he committed against humanity. Considering her pleas, Maou realizes how conflicting his current self's actions are compared to the tyrant he once was, quietly pondering how someone like himself who desired to wipe out the human race could be living so peacefully in a world dominated by those he sought to destroy. After some thought, the Demon King admits that he never really reflected on his sins before, though he desires to provide a rational answer to her questions. Maou hesitantly admits that he never knew much about other races, to begin with, and paid little attention to what his forces were doing outside of the Central Continent. Though he cannot excuse himself for such guilt, Satan refuses to shift the blame to Lucifer or his other generals. He solemnly apologizes for everything that happened, claiming that the struggle between their races was an old conflict long before their time. He admits he never truly understood humans before being forced to live as one.
The tender scene is interrupted by the sudden reappearance of Ashiya, who had brought Chiho with him after a chance meeting at the pharmacy. Upon seeing Maou and Emi in their disheveled states, the younger girl concludes that they are in an intimate relationship before bolting from the apartment in a panic, her ears deaf to their frenzied explanations. Annoyed by the unfortunate misunderstandings, the Demon King throws the medical supplies at Emi, irritably commenting that nothing good happens whenever she's around. While fuming over the morning's unexpected events, he accidentally backs into a large object which turns out to be the owner of the apartment house. Miki Shiba announces her presence by humorously chiding Maou for his behavior, her sudden appearance rendering the others speechless. The landlady then introduces herself to Emi, mistakenly guessing that the female Hero is Maou's girlfriend. Handing some paperwork to the boys, the elderly woman states the purpose of her visit, claiming that she plans on reinforcing the old building in light of recent earthquakes and will not raise their rent due to the construction work. She then urges them to pursue Chiho, offhandedly mentioning that the high school student was not only on the receiving end of Idea Link magic, but also subject to a sonar strike. Although they are shocked by her knowledge of Ente Isla, the landlady suggests they help Chiho soon, her ominous warning ending with an unsettling insinuation that she also knows of the Demon King's true identity. Though he realizes the landlady is no ordinary human, Maou leaves the apartment to find Chiho, Emi, and Ashiya trailing closely behind. The trio soon discovers the neighborhood in shambles, with several buildings crushed by a collapsed railway bridge and stray power lines littering the debris. Standing precariously atop a pile of rubble, Satan feels his magic power returning to him due to the surrounding fear and chaos, mourning the fact that it came at such a terrible cost.
Looking towards the sky, he sees two familiar figures levitating above Koshu-Kaido road; Demon General Lucifer and the Church's rogue Archbishop, Olba Meyer, now aware that they had been the source of the recent problems in Shibuya. Holding an unconscious Chiho in one arm, Lucifer greets his former master politely yet sarcastically while addressing the group by their real names and Japanese identities. Having reportedly died at the hands of the Hero Emilia during his razing of the Western Continent, his presence stupefies all but Maou, who coolly states he had suspected Lucifer's survival from the beginning. The Devil King explains why he sent Lucifer to the Western Continent, having mistakenly hoped that his status as a fallen angel would give them an edge against the Church's forces stationed there. However, he admits his hopes were misplaced. He then demands further explanation from Lucifer, who allows Olba to take it. Emilia is horrified that the Archbishop she once considered a friend would conspire to kill them all. However, Satan reveals he had suspected foul play after learning Olba was behind the Hero when she entered the Gate. Though the corrupted clergyman prepares to explain his plans, Maou deduces out loud that the Church was simply using Emi and had planned to kill her once she was no longer needed and that Olba had bribed Lucifer by promising to return him to Heaven. Openly displaying a distaste for Heaven's methods and the devious duo, the Demon King mockingly compares their ill-conceived plan to a badly-written B Movie plot, his incessant heckling, puzzling, and angering the Archbishop. He also figures out that they were responsible for the recent muggings and magical attacks, deducing that the purpose behind it was to restore Lucifer's power by having him feed on the negative emotions of humans. When questioned why he didn't do the same, the Demon King admits he enjoyed the experience of being human and has no desire to harm the Earth when the world and its people treated him with nothing but kindness.
After conversing with the Hero and his remaining general, Emi and Maou, both admit to despising traitors more than they do each other and agree to fight together. Still, the conversation is interrupted by Lucifer, who strikes down Ashiya with a magical blast. Unable to dodge the fallen angel's attacks with his slow human body, Maou reflects them with the remnants of his magic before fleeing alongside the Hero, bearing Ashiya's unconscious form on his shoulders. Unable to escape their enemies, the bickering couple is thrown to the ground by Lucifer, a stray blast shooting clean through Maou's shoulder. Olba draws a pistol from his robes to finish his quarry, but Satan teleports them away using the last of his magic. Reappearing in a crowded station, Emi questions whether or not he came to find an ambulance. Still, the dying Devil King denies this, appearing strangely satisfied with the turn of events. They are again confronted by Lucifer, who blasts Maou's chest open, dealing him a fatal injury. Horrified by his apparent death, Emilia pleads with him to stand up and considers the use of CPR, falling into despair when she notices that his heart has been pierced. Satisfied with his work, Lucifer drops Chiho's unconscious form headfirst into the streets below, Emi breaking her legs to catch the falling girl. The fallen angel gloats over his victory and prepares to collapse the expressway bridge into the streets below when a familiar voice calls out, dismissing his words as those of a B movie villain.
Hataraku Mao-sama! Light Novel Volume 6[]
The Hero and the Devil Wonder What the Hell They're Doing With Their Lives[]
Like everyone else around them, Maou notices a change in Emi's behavior, linking it to her learning that her father was alive, and she's now confused about her actions up until now. Trying to help Emi's mental state, Maou purposely declares an intent to wipe out humanity and invade Ente Isla again to make things clearer for her. However, Emi does not believe anything Maou says, mentioning how, during the demon invasion. At the same time, two of the Demon Generals wreak havoc on their assigned territories; the other two only attacked fighters and, in the case of the Eastern Continent, kept the Azure Emperor in power during and after the Demon occupation. Emi yells that she believes Maou is not a bloodthirsty Demon King and has no desire for world conquest, but wants to be praised for being a good boy in Japan. This angers Maou, who intends to yell back at her before vanishing.
In Maou's eyes, the human girls vanished instead of him. He was surrounded by a barrier put up by a mysterious businessman and a child. The businessman introduces himself as Farfarello, a chieftain of the Malebranche appointed after the Demon Army's defeat. Farfarello reveals that he is with the faction that split the Demon Realm into two. They are allied with Olba and control the Eastern Continent thanks to the Azure Emperor accepting an alliance with them. He begs Maou to return to lead their army for another invasion. Maou berates Farfarello, as the Malebranche refuses to obey Camio, who Maou had left behind as regent. Farfarello defends his race's choice to secede from Camio's faction and gives assurance that another invasion of Ente Isla would be successful. Maou loses his patience with Farfarello, telling him that if the demons go down the path the Malebrache is currently on, it will end with the same result as the first invasion. To his annoyance, Maou sees his words did not reach Farfarello, who is now irritated at Maou's refusal to return and attempts to restore his liege's power, believing Maou had become soft due to the human world.
Before the conversation can continue, the barrier Farfarello put up is destroyed by Sariel, who reveals that it was the doing of the child with Farfarello, Erone. Emi and Suzuno quickly get between Maou and Farfarello. Not recognizing Emi, he quickly and desperately attempts to transform into a demon. When Emi attacks him, Erone defends and manages to block Emi's sword. Alas, Ramus senses something in Erone and refuses to fight him, which allows Farfarello to flee.
The Hero and the Devil Take a Step Toward a New Dream[]
Emi and Suzuno inject Maou with holy force to turn it into demonic force, allowing him to transform into his demon form for Farfarello, who is impressed by the events and bows. Maou tells Farfarello to inform the demons in Ente Isla that he has appointed new Great Demon Generals for the actual New Devil King's Army. In addition to Alciel and Lucifer, he declares the Hero Emilia, Crestia Bell, and Chiho Sasaki as the new Demon Generals, to which Farfarello is taken aback and swears never to view the three humans as enemies again.