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Plot:That's Catch 22

2026-09-11T00:15:25Z

Decarabia:

{{Stub|series=DDS|reason=Incomplete summary}}

==Part 1: Lux==
[[Heat O'Brien]], an 18-year-old pre-med student at Yale University, finds medical professor Henry Harris bleeding out from a stab wound to the chest. Though he attempts to resucitate the professor, other students arrive on the scene and mistakenly assume that Heat was the one who stabbed him. Heat is detained by the police for several hours and questioned mercilessly, until [[Serph Sheffield]] appears and suddenly begins to defend Heat's innocence.

Serph is a 16-year-old psychology major, the youngest student on campus. Even though they've never spoken before, Serph claims to be Heat's best friend and argues with the police on his behalf. He eventually convinces them to let Heat go home for the night; Heat is grateful for his help, but remains unnerved by Serph's inscrutability and the fact that he seems to know more about the situation (and Heat himself) than he should.

The next day, Heat eats lunch alone in the cafeteria while trying to ignore the stares of other students gossiping about his involvement in the murder. His narration reveals that currently, in 2014, the Earth's atmosphere has deteriorated to a point where humans are increasingly unable to spend time outdoors without risking burns from ultraviolet rays; every student at Yale now carries anti-UV sunglasses at all times. Despite the growing danger of the sun's rays, countries such as the United States have ignored environmentalists' warnings, continuing to resist legislation that would regulate industrial pollution. People have begun to joke that the increase in solar radiation over the past decade is a punishment from the [[Brahman (Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner 2)|"gods"]] in the sun.

Heat's thoughts are interrupted by Serph, who sits at his table and begins chatting with him. As they converse, Heat finds himself both drawn to and repulsed by Serph's natural talent for charming others. Serph explains how he uses body language and psychological tricks to subconsciously dominate conversations and manipulate others' behavior; his callousness disgusts Heat, who storms out of the cafeteria. Torn between gratitude and mistrust, Heat attempts to dismiss Serph and head to his next class, but both of them are summoned for another meeting with the police.

Back at the murder scene, an officer identifying himself as FBI agent Allen Harvey accuses Heat of being a spy, revealing that a certain highly-classified disc has gone missing in the wake of the professor's murder. Harvey puts up a much stronger resistance to Serph's attempts to influence the situation; undaunted by the investigator's obvious animosity, Serph continues to insist on finding the real culprit and defending his friend. Based on the condition of the crime scene and the professor's injuries, Serph concludes that Professor Harris was killed by accident, likely by somebody he knew very well.
==Part 2: Veritas==
The police react derisively to Serph's suggestion that Harris may have been murdered by his wife; nevertheless, Serph's deductions have cast doubt on the theory that Heat is the only possible culprit, and Heat's guilt is no longer assured. Though a part of Heat still questions whether Serph's dedication to him is just another act, by this point, his doubt is outweighed by his genuine feelings of gratitude and guilt.

After another day of interrogation, an exhausted Serph and Heat return to Heat's student apartment, which had been ransacked earlier by the police as part of their investigation. Worried that the incident might disrupt his progression towards his medical degree, Heat reflects on his reason for trying to graduate quickly: to be able to repay his student loans as soon as possible and not further burden his mother, the main source of financial and emotional support in his life after his younger sister's death. Serph, noticing Heat's melancholy, tries to guess at the reason for his grief, but when he begins to metaphorically describe the situation as a "catch-22," Heat reacts violently to the phrase.

After a bit of coaxing, Heat confesses his secret: nine years ago, he killed his sister. Heat's younger sister was born with DiGeorge Syndrome, a genetic disorder also colloquially known as CATCH-22. Because she was immunocompromised, Heat was forbidden to leave the house during an influenza epidemic; regardless, a nine-year-old Heat snuck out to play with his friends, inadvertently contracting the virus that would result in his sister's death. Heat still holds himself responsible for her death, and his obsessive study of medicine stems from his desire to save children impacted by genetic disorders like his sister. Serph listens to Heat's story without judgment. Eventually, he comforts Heat by inviting him to stay by his side from that point on, promising that the world will one day be theirs; overwhelmed, Heat simply nods.

The next evening, Serph and Heat visit Yale's Beinecke Library to examine the Voynich Manuscript, a 15th-century encyclopedia written in an indecipherable language. Serph then reveals his other suspicions about Harris's murder: before his death, the professor was involved with the subjects of multiple conspiracy theories, including the Skull & Bones society, the [[HAARP Facility]], and the Voynich manuscript itself. Serph speculates that the disc missing from Harris's office may have contained information that would be dangerous to publicize, suggesting that his death might have been orchestrated to guarantee his silence.

Meanwhile, Heat grows increasingly impatient with Serph's conspiracy theories, and his distrust worsens as he realizes just how closely Serph had been monitoring the professor. Suddenly doubting Serph's sanity, Heat even begins to suspect that his friend's erratic behavior and unsettling familiarity with the crime scene may point to him being the true culprit. Gripped by paranoia, Heat sees Serph reach into his pocket and moves to defend himself, fearing for his own safety.

To Heat's surprise, Serph appears uncharacteristically hurt by his sudden show of suspicion, and he pulls out nothing but an ordinary electrical outlet cover. Then, shocking Heat further, Serph reveals that the object is actually a wiretap. Some time before the professor's death, Serph had developed an interest in the academic and social benefits of joining the Skull & Bones society. Professor Harris's suspicious reaction to Serph's inquiries only made him more curious, and he volunteered for a campus delivery job in order to discreetly plant a bug in the professor's office. Serph was eavesdropping on Harris the night he was killed, making him the only witness to the murder. Although he initially testified in Heat's defense because it allowed him to stealthily retrieve his wiretap from the crime scene, Serph also knows for a fact that Heat didn't kill the professor, and he reaffirms his commitment to proving his friend's innocence.

[[Category:Plot Summaries]]

Heat O'Brien

2026-08-16T08:45:55Z

Decarabia:

{{Spoilers|media1=DDSAT2}}
{{Image}}
{{Infobox Character
|image=DDSAT2 Heat O'Brien Render.png
|seoimage=DDSAT2 Heat O'Brien Render.png
|jpname=ヒート・オブライエン
|names=True Heat{{Exp|In battle}} Kazuki Homura{{Exp App|novel=QDS}}
|dob=
|age=24 ([[That's Catch 22]]){{Exp App|novel=TC22}} 26 ([[Quantum Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner]]){{Exp App|novel=QDS3}}
|height=
|weight=
|bloodtype=
|relative=Unnamed parents{{Exp App|novel=QDS3}}{{Exp App|novel=TC22}} Unnamed younger sister (Deceased)([[That's Catch 22]]){{Exp App|novel=TC22}}
|school=
|occupation=Gene therapist
|affiliation=[[Karma Society]]
|va=
}}
'''{{PAGENAME}}''', known as '''Kazuki Homura''' in the ''{{Link|Novel|QDS}}'' novels, is a character in the {{Link|Series|DDS-}}.

==Profile==
In the {{Link|Series|DDS}} games and {{Link|Novel|TC22}}, Heat O'Brien is a young American man bearing a physical resemblance to the [[Embryon]]'s [[Heat]], with the only differences being his blond hair and laboratory attire in place of Heat's red hair and Embryon uniform.

In the {{Link|Novel|QDS}} novels, Kazuki Homura is three-quarters Japanese, with his maternal grandfather being German, giving his hair a red tint. He also holds Australian citizenship.

==Gameplay==
==={{Link|Game|DDSAT2}}===
Heat O'Brien, named True Heat during battle, appears as [[Agni (Atma)|Agni]] during the fight against [[Real Varna]] and [[Fake Varna]] as [[Serph]]'s only teammate. Unlike other party members, True Heat is incapable of reverting to his human form or participating in [[Combo Skill]]s. True Heat disappears from the party as soon as the battle ends.

{{DDSAT2 Ally Demon Stats
|name=True Heat
|level=45
|hp=330
|mp=284
|st=37
|vi=35
|ma=24
|ag=26
|lu=28
|fire=Rs
|firefrac=0.5
|ice=Wk
|icefrac=1.3
|skills=
{{Skill|DDSAT2|Agidyne}}
{{Skill|DDSAT2|Skull Cleave}}
{{Skill|DDSAT2|Chi Blast}}
{{Skill|DDSAT2|Mediarama}}
{{Skill|DDSAT2|Diarama}}
{{Skill|DDSAT2|Tarukaja}}
{{Skill|DDSAT2|Power Charge}}
{{Skill|DDSAT2|Samarecarm}}
}}

==Game Appearances==
==={{Link|Game|DDSAT2}}===
Heat O'Brien was a gene therapist working for the [[Karma Society]]'s God Project. He regularly protested against [[Serph Sheffield]]'s inhumane treatment of [[Sera]], and his hostile demeanor would cause Sera to perceive him as scary. Sera's perception of O'Brien served as the basis for his AI doppelganger in her virtual paradise, who itself would become the basis for the [[Junkyard]]'s [[Heat]].

Later, during an attempt to communicate with [[Brahman (Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner 2)|Brahman]], Sera's performance was lower than usual due to prolonged physical and mental stress. O'Brien interrupted the procedure by pointing a pistol at Sheffield, and a researcher inadvertently began broadcasting footage of the event to Sera. The real [[Argilla]], who had been manipulated by Sheffield, shot O'Brien in the back, and Sheffield did not put up the usual friendly facade he presented to Sera, revealing his true self to her. Sera's negative emotions at witnessing this were sent to Brahman, resulting in the [[Sun (Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner 2)|Black Sun]].

Heat O'Brien's data later appears in the [[EGG Installation]] to comfort [[Serph]] after he learns of Sheffield's actions. Then, the data of Sheffield and the AI Serph that existed prior to the Junkyard also appear, with the former confronting O'Brien for his death. Serph and O'Brien defeat the other Serphs, returning their data to their natural cycles and allowing O'Brien to rest in peace.

==Novel Appearances==
==={{Link|Novel|TC22}}===
{{Sectionstub|type=Appearance|reason=Incomplete summary}}
Heat O'Brien is a young Irish-American medical student attending Yale University during the events of {{Link|Novel|TC22}}. Though his peers perceive him as cold and intimidating, Heat's internal narration and interactions with his only friend [[Serph Sheffield]] reveal him to be a dutiful and deeply caring person, albeit rather socially awkward. Similarly to his [[Heat|Junkyard counterpart]], he is easily overwhelmed by his emotions and is susceptible to outbursts of rage, fear, or grief; at the same time, his guilt and strong sense of personal responsibility drive him to dedicate himself to those to whom he feels most indebted, with the most significant examples being his family and Sheffield.

Heat was born circa 1996 to an Irish mother and an English father on the East Coast of the United States. His younger sister was born with DiGeorge syndrome, a genetic disorder also colloquially called CATCH22; Heat, who was too young to understand his sister's condition, avoided her out of fear that she would infect him. In 2005, when Heat was nine years old and his sister was seven, the East Coast suffered an influenza epidemic. Because his sister was immunocompromised and Heat had not yet received his vaccination, their mother forbade him to leave the house, but Heat disobeyed her and snuck out to play with his friends. Tragically, he was infected, and the incident resulted in his younger sister's death.

Heat blamed himself for his sister's death and dedicated himself to the study of medicine, hoping to be able to save the lives of other children. After his parents divorced, Heat decided to stay with his mother and took her last name. Thanks to his academic dedication, his extracurricular boxing, and his mother's financial support, Heat was able to enroll in Yale University a year early, at the age of 17. Around that time, he learned of the existence of [[Cuvier Syndrome]]; upon learning that its first victim was also a seven-year-old girl, Heat became fixated on researching and fighting the disease.

{{Link|Novel|TC22}} takes place during Heat's sophomore year. Hoping to attend a guest lecture by [[Margot Cuvier]], Heat approaches medical professor Henry Harris to ask about open seats, only to end up losing his temper at the notoriously stubborn professor's anti-Irish bigotry. When he returns the next week to reluctantly apologize, he finds the professor bleeding out at his desk. Blinded by panic, Heat attempts to perform an impromptu surgical procedure to save his life, but other students arriving on the scene mistakenly assume Heat to be the professor's killer and forcefully subdue him.

==={{Link|Novel|QDS2}}===
[[Varin Omega]] calls some of the [[Embryon]] by unfamiliar names, including calling [[Heat]] Kazuki Homura. This is later revealed to be due to memories implanted in him of being [[William van Beck]], which were intentionally altered to drive Varin to want to kill "[[Shin Minase]]".

==={{Link|Novel|QDS3}}===
{{Sectionstub|type=Appearance}}
Kazuki Homura was born a psychic and an empath. His parents were afraid of him for his ability to sense their negative emotions, and he was abused as a child as a result. When he was seven years old, a social worker recognized the signs of abuse and Kazuki's parents were arrested, while Kazuki was transferred to a facility for protected children, where his abilities would be discovered and identified as Class B. Kazuki spent his youth in the facility and earned a scholarship to attend university and become a mental engineer. There, he met [[Shin Minase]] in a seminar for mental manipulation, and was surprised that Shin knew that he was a psychic despite the efforts he took to not reveal it.

Later, Kazuki started his practice as a Rank A mental engineer. He was approached by Shin to treat his sister, [[Kei Minase]], though he noted that her complaints could be handled by a psychiatrist. Shin then told him that he did not trust psychiatrists, nor did he want to risk entrusting his only family to someone who would only prescribe her some medicine, but he trusted Kazuki, a mental engineer that he had known for years at this point. Kazuki accepted his request and began treating Kei, though their sessions were unusually frequent and the treatment lasted much longer than usual, which her modest finances would have been unable to pay for if not for Shin's own large inherited wealth. It became apparent to him that most of Kei's symptoms were due to her brother's intense personality and her conflicting feelings towards him, and that she was deeply dependent on him, such that removing that dependence would cause her psyche to collapse. Kazuki gradually developed feelings for Kei, and before Kei could leave during the session where she explained her frustration at being a designer child, he embraced her and sent her his feelings, effectively confessing his love; a taboo for a mental engineer. Kei explained that she did love him as well, but that they should not be together due to Shin's influence. Their sessions became private meetups as lovers, and Kazuki stopped treating her, as he thought he should not try to fix her as her lover. Unbeknownst to him, Kei had contracted [[Cuvier Syndrome]] by the time they had their last session, and she completely crystallized a few months later, though Kazuki was instead informed that she was absent due to illness and that she committed suicide by jumping in front of a train. Kei's death shocked Kazuki deeply, and he became unable to work as a result. He was advised to take an indefinite leave using his paid vacation days by the master of the Tech Guild, which he accepted.

Kazuki spent months locked up in his flat, surviving off of periodic deliveries of water and supplements. One day, he wakes up to the sound of an incoming call from [[Shin Minase]], which he barely processed without viewing the recording a second time later, given that Shin's face was so identical to Kei's. Shin requested Kazuki's participation in the treatment of a patient with an extremely complicated condition, which he accepted, despite later regretting his decision during his flight from Melbourne to New York. Arriving there, Kazuki was pulled aside to another runway by men that had tailed him from Melbourne, where several men in black suits and a small flyer were waiting. Kazuki, realizing that he had been deceived, tried to resist, but he was anaesthetised and taken to the [[EGG Installation|EGG]], where the situation was explained in more detail by Shin, who revealed that he was in a similar situation as Kazuki.

Shin introduced Kazuki to [[Sera]], though Sera could not perceive Kazuki. He was dumbfounded at how she moved through him and could seemingly teleport, but still could physically interact with Shin and a handkerchief he was using to clean her feet. Shin then took Kazuki from Sera's room to the residential area of the EGG, where he met many of the other researchers and was led to Shin's room for a proper explanation of the history behind [[Jenna Angel|Angel]] and Sera, and the nature of [[God (Quantum Devil Saga)|God]] and the Cuvier Syndrome. The next day, Kazuki went through a battery of examinations to evaluate his health, register him to the facility, and create a digital avatar that Sera could perceive. He then met with [[Annabella di Fiori]], who explained the purpose of the avatar and some of the technical aspects of the EGG, and was met by Shin, who took him to Sera's room again. This time, [[Cielo Alondra]] was there, dancing, and made apparent to Kazuki that he too was a psychic, then left the room. Shin suggested to Kazuki that he should try touching Sera, which he managed to do, causing his proxy to receive updates from Sera's touch. He then saw Sera's lips move, and heard Kei's voice, which startled him, but Sera was no longer interested, so he was forced to return later.

==={{Link|Novel|QDS5}}===
Kazuki appears to talk with [[Serph]] while the latter is in the "shore of nothingness", observing [[Heat]]'s fight against the remaining Embryon from there and regaining his body in the process, and he introduces himself. When Heat merges with the [[EGG Installation|EGG]]'s gate, Serph decides to stop Heat for his friends' sake. Kazuki contemplates causality, pointing out that Serph's Water Crown brand is the same as [[Shin Minase]]'s, both representing a "curse", and that causality might have been why he met Shin, loved [[Kei Minase|Kei]], and chased her phantom in [[Sera]]. Kazuki elaborates that he is only there to help fulfill Serph's goal, and that he will go find Kei and Shin and apologize to them afterwards. Kazuki takes Serph's hand and puts it in his body, allowing Serph to connect to Heat's energy channel and emerge in the physical world from within Heat.

==Nomenclature==
The surname used in ''Quantum Devil Saga'' is homophonous with {{translit|ja|焰|homura|inline=y}}, meaning "flame".
{{Names
|en1=Heat O'Brien
|en2=True Heat
|enE2={{Exp App|DDSAT2 (Battle)}}
|en3=Kazuki Homura
|enE3={{Exp App|novel=QDS}}
|ja1=ヒート・オブライエン
|jaR1=Hīto Oburaien
|jaM1=Heat O'Brien
|ja2=リアルヒート
|jaE2={{Exp App|DDSAT2 (Battle)}}
|jaR2=Riaruhīto
|jaM2=Real Heat
|ja3=穂村一幾
|jaE3={{Exp App|novel=QDS}}
|jaR3=Homura Kazuki
|jaM3=Kazuki Homura
}}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
</gallery>

[[Category:Pages created from boilerplates]]
[[Category:Characters in Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner 2]]

Heat O'Brien

2026-08-16T08:42:57Z

Decarabia:

{{Spoilers|media1=DDSAT2}}
{{Image}}
{{Infobox Character
|image=DDSAT2 Heat O'Brien Render.png
|seoimage=DDSAT2 Heat O'Brien Render.png
|jpname=ヒート・オブライエン
|names=True Heat{{Exp|In battle}} Kazuki Homura{{Exp App|novel=QDS}}
|dob=
|age=24 ([[That's Catch 22]]){{Exp App|novel=TC22}} 26 ([[Quantum Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner]]){{Exp App|novel=QDS3}}
|height=
|weight=
|bloodtype=
|relative=Unnamed parents{{Exp App|novel=QDS3}}{{Exp App|novel=TC22}} Unnamed younger sister (Deceased)([[That's Catch 22]]){{Exp App|novel=TC22}}
|school=
|occupation=Gene therapist
|affiliation=[[Karma Society]]
|va=
}}
'''{{PAGENAME}}''', known as '''Kazuki Homura''' in the ''{{Link|Novel|QDS}}'' novels, is a character in the {{Link|Series|DDS-}}.

==Profile==
In the {{Link|Series|DDS}} games and {{Link|Novel|TC22}}, Heat O'Brien is a young American man bearing a physical resemblance to the [[Embryon]]'s [[Heat]], with the only differences being his blond hair and laboratory attire in place of Heat's red hair and Embryon uniform.

In the {{Link|Novel|QDS}} novels, Kazuki Homura is three-quarters Japanese, with his maternal grandfather being German, giving his hair a red tint. He also holds Australian citizenship.

==Gameplay==
==={{Link|Game|DDSAT2}}===
Heat O'Brien, named True Heat during battle, appears as [[Agni (Atma)|Agni]] during the fight against [[Real Varna]] and [[Fake Varna]] as [[Serph]]'s only teammate. Unlike other party members, True Heat is incapable of reverting to his human form or participating in [[Combo Skill]]s. True Heat disappears from the party as soon as the battle ends.

{{DDSAT2 Ally Demon Stats
|name=True Heat
|level=45
|hp=330
|mp=284
|st=37
|vi=35
|ma=24
|ag=26
|lu=28
|fire=Rs
|firefrac=0.5
|ice=Wk
|icefrac=1.3
|skills=
{{Skill|DDSAT2|Agidyne}}
{{Skill|DDSAT2|Skull Cleave}}
{{Skill|DDSAT2|Chi Blast}}
{{Skill|DDSAT2|Mediarama}}
{{Skill|DDSAT2|Diarama}}
{{Skill|DDSAT2|Tarukaja}}
{{Skill|DDSAT2|Power Charge}}
{{Skill|DDSAT2|Samarecarm}}
}}

==Game Appearances==
==={{Link|Game|DDSAT2}}===
Heat O'Brien was a gene therapist working for the [[Karma Society]]'s God Project. He regularly protested against [[Serph Sheffield]]'s inhumane treatment of [[Sera]], and his hostile demeanor would cause Sera to perceive him as scary. Sera's perception of O'Brien served as the basis for his AI doppelganger in her virtual paradise, who itself would become the basis for the [[Junkyard]]'s [[Heat]].

Later, during an attempt to communicate with [[Brahman (Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner 2)|Brahman]], Sera's performance was lower than usual due to prolonged physical and mental stress. O'Brien interrupted the procedure by pointing a pistol at Sheffield, and a researcher inadvertently began broadcasting footage of the event to Sera. The real [[Argilla]], who had been manipulated by Sheffield, shot O'Brien in the back, and Sheffield did not put up the usual friendly facade he presented to Sera, revealing his true self to her. Sera's negative emotions at witnessing this were sent to Brahman, resulting in the [[Sun (Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner 2)|Black Sun]].

Heat O'Brien's data later appears in the [[EGG Installation]] to comfort [[Serph]] after he learns of Sheffield's actions. Then, the data of Sheffield and the AI Serph that existed prior to the Junkyard also appear, with the former confronting O'Brien for his death. Serph and O'Brien defeat the other Serphs, returning their data to their natural cycles and allowing O'Brien to rest in peace.

==Novel Appearances==
==={{Link|Novel|TC22}}===
{{Sectionstub|type=Appearance|reason=Incomplete summary}}
Heat O'Brien is a young Irish-American medical student attending Yale University during the events of {{Link|Novel|TC22}}. Though his peers perceive him as cold and intimidating, Heat's internal narration and interactions with his only friend [[Serph Sheffield]] reveal him to be a dutiful and deeply caring person, albeit rather socially awkward. Similarly to his [[Heat|Junkyard avatar]], he is easily overwhelmed by his emotions and is susceptible to outbursts of rage, fear, or grief; at the same time, his guilt and strong sense of personal responsibility drive him to dedicate himself to those to whom he feels most indebted, with the most significant examples being his family and Sheffield.

Heat was born circa 1996 to an Irish mother and an English father on the East Coast of the United States. His younger sister was born with DiGeorge syndrome, a genetic disorder also colloquially called CATCH22; Heat, who was too young to understand his sister's condition, avoided her out of fear that she would infect him. In 2005, when Heat was nine years old and his sister was seven, the East Coast suffered an influenza epidemic. Because his sister was immunocompromised and Heat had not yet received his vaccination, their mother forbade him to leave the house, but Heat disobeyed her and snuck out to play with his friends. Tragically, he was infected, and the incident resulted in his younger sister's death.

Heat blamed himself for his sister's death and dedicated himself to the study of medicine, hoping to be able to save the lives of other children. After his parents divorced, Heat decided to stay with his mother and took her last name. Thanks to his academic dedication, his extracurricular boxing, and his mother's financial support, Heat was able to enroll in Yale University a year early, at the age of 17. Around that time, he learned of the existence of [[Cuvier Syndrome]]; upon learning that its first victim was also a seven-year-old girl, Heat became fixated on researching and fighting the disease.

{{Link|Novel|TC22}} takes place during Heat's sophomore year. Hoping to attend a guest lecture by [[Margot Cuvier]], Heat approaches medical professor Henry Harris to ask about open seats, only to end up losing his temper at the notoriously stubborn professor's anti-Irish bigotry. When he returns the next week to reluctantly apologize, he finds the professor bleeding out at his desk. Blinded by panic, Heat attempts to perform an impromptu surgical procedure to save his life, but other students arriving on the scene mistakenly assume Heat to be the professor's killer and forcefully subdue him.

==={{Link|Novel|QDS2}}===
[[Varin Omega]] calls some of the [[Embryon]] by unfamiliar names, including calling [[Heat]] Kazuki Homura. This is later revealed to be due to memories implanted in him of being [[William van Beck]], which were intentionally altered to drive Varin to want to kill "[[Shin Minase]]".

==={{Link|Novel|QDS3}}===
{{Sectionstub|type=Appearance}}
Kazuki Homura was born a psychic and an empath. His parents were afraid of him for his ability to sense their negative emotions, and he was abused as a child as a result. When he was seven years old, a social worker recognized the signs of abuse and Kazuki's parents were arrested, while Kazuki was transferred to a facility for protected children, where his abilities would be discovered and identified as Class B. Kazuki spent his youth in the facility and earned a scholarship to attend university and become a mental engineer. There, he met [[Shin Minase]] in a seminar for mental manipulation, and was surprised that Shin knew that he was a psychic despite the efforts he took to not reveal it.

Later, Kazuki started his practice as a Rank A mental engineer. He was approached by Shin to treat his sister, [[Kei Minase]], though he noted that her complaints could be handled by a psychiatrist. Shin then told him that he did not trust psychiatrists, nor did he want to risk entrusting his only family to someone who would only prescribe her some medicine, but he trusted Kazuki, a mental engineer that he had known for years at this point. Kazuki accepted his request and began treating Kei, though their sessions were unusually frequent and the treatment lasted much longer than usual, which her modest finances would have been unable to pay for if not for Shin's own large inherited wealth. It became apparent to him that most of Kei's symptoms were due to her brother's intense personality and her conflicting feelings towards him, and that she was deeply dependent on him, such that removing that dependence would cause her psyche to collapse. Kazuki gradually developed feelings for Kei, and before Kei could leave during the session where she explained her frustration at being a designer child, he embraced her and sent her his feelings, effectively confessing his love; a taboo for a mental engineer. Kei explained that she did love him as well, but that they should not be together due to Shin's influence. Their sessions became private meetups as lovers, and Kazuki stopped treating her, as he thought he should not try to fix her as her lover. Unbeknownst to him, Kei had contracted [[Cuvier Syndrome]] by the time they had their last session, and she completely crystallized a few months later, though Kazuki was instead informed that she was absent due to illness and that she committed suicide by jumping in front of a train. Kei's death shocked Kazuki deeply, and he became unable to work as a result. He was advised to take an indefinite leave using his paid vacation days by the master of the Tech Guild, which he accepted.

Kazuki spent months locked up in his flat, surviving off of periodic deliveries of water and supplements. One day, he wakes up to the sound of an incoming call from [[Shin Minase]], which he barely processed without viewing the recording a second time later, given that Shin's face was so identical to Kei's. Shin requested Kazuki's participation in the treatment of a patient with an extremely complicated condition, which he accepted, despite later regretting his decision during his flight from Melbourne to New York. Arriving there, Kazuki was pulled aside to another runway by men that had tailed him from Melbourne, where several men in black suits and a small flyer were waiting. Kazuki, realizing that he had been deceived, tried to resist, but he was anaesthetised and taken to the [[EGG Installation|EGG]], where the situation was explained in more detail by Shin, who revealed that he was in a similar situation as Kazuki.

Shin introduced Kazuki to [[Sera]], though Sera could not perceive Kazuki. He was dumbfounded at how she moved through him and could seemingly teleport, but still could physically interact with Shin and a handkerchief he was using to clean her feet. Shin then took Kazuki from Sera's room to the residential area of the EGG, where he met many of the other researchers and was led to Shin's room for a proper explanation of the history behind [[Jenna Angel|Angel]] and Sera, and the nature of [[God (Quantum Devil Saga)|God]] and the Cuvier Syndrome. The next day, Kazuki went through a battery of examinations to evaluate his health, register him to the facility, and create a digital avatar that Sera could perceive. He then met with [[Annabella di Fiori]], who explained the purpose of the avatar and some of the technical aspects of the EGG, and was met by Shin, who took him to Sera's room again. This time, [[Cielo Alondra]] was there, dancing, and made apparent to Kazuki that he too was a psychic, then left the room. Shin suggested to Kazuki that he should try touching Sera, which he managed to do, causing his proxy to receive updates from Sera's touch. He then saw Sera's lips move, and heard Kei's voice, which startled him, but Sera was no longer interested, so he was forced to return later.

==={{Link|Novel|QDS5}}===
Kazuki appears to talk with [[Serph]] while the latter is in the "shore of nothingness", observing [[Heat]]'s fight against the remaining Embryon from there and regaining his body in the process, and he introduces himself. When Heat merges with the [[EGG Installation|EGG]]'s gate, Serph decides to stop Heat for his friends' sake. Kazuki contemplates causality, pointing out that Serph's Water Crown brand is the same as [[Shin Minase]]'s, both representing a "curse", and that causality might have been why he met Shin, loved [[Kei Minase|Kei]], and chased her phantom in [[Sera]]. Kazuki elaborates that he is only there to help fulfill Serph's goal, and that he will go find Kei and Shin and apologize to them afterwards. Kazuki takes Serph's hand and puts it in his body, allowing Serph to connect to Heat's energy channel and emerge in the physical world from within Heat.

==Nomenclature==
The surname used in ''Quantum Devil Saga'' is homophonous with {{translit|ja|焰|homura|inline=y}}, meaning "flame".
{{Names
|en1=Heat O'Brien
|en2=True Heat
|enE2={{Exp App|DDSAT2 (Battle)}}
|en3=Kazuki Homura
|enE3={{Exp App|novel=QDS}}
|ja1=ヒート・オブライエン
|jaR1=Hīto Oburaien
|jaM1=Heat O'Brien
|ja2=リアルヒート
|jaE2={{Exp App|DDSAT2 (Battle)}}
|jaR2=Riaruhīto
|jaM2=Real Heat
|ja3=穂村一幾
|jaE3={{Exp App|novel=QDS}}
|jaR3=Homura Kazuki
|jaM3=Kazuki Homura
}}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
</gallery>

[[Category:Pages created from boilerplates]]
[[Category:Characters in Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner 2]]

Plot:That's Catch 22

2026-08-14T23:30:08Z

Decarabia:

Plot:That's Catch 22

2026-07-25T03:16:18Z

Decarabia:

{{Stub|series=DDS|reason=Incomplete summary}}

==Part 1: Lux==
[[Heat O'Brien]], an 18-year-old pre-med student at Yale University, finds medical professor Henry Harris bleeding out from a stab wound to the chest. Though he attempts to resucitate the professor, other students arrive on the scene and mistakenly assume that Heat was the one who stabbed him. Heat is detained by the police for several hours and questioned mercilessly, until [[Serph Sheffield]] appears and suddenly begins to defend Heat's innocence.

Serph is a 16-year-old psychology major, the youngest student on campus. Even though they've never spoken before, Serph claims to be Heat's best friend and argues with the police on his behalf. He eventually convinces them to let Heat go home for the night; Heat is grateful for his help, but remains unnerved by Serph's inscrutability and the fact that he seems to know more about the situation (and Heat himself) than he should.

The next day, Heat eats lunch alone in the cafeteria while trying to ignore the stares of other students gossiping about his involvement in the murder. His narration reveals that currently, in 2014, the Earth's atmosphere has deteriorated to a point where humans are increasingly unable to spend time outdoors without risking burns from ultraviolet rays; every student at Yale now carries anti-UV sunglasses at all times. Despite the growing danger of the sun's rays, countries such as the United States have ignored environmentalists' warnings, continuing to resist legislation that would regulate industrial pollution. People have begun to joke that the increase in solar radiation over the past decade is a punishment from the [[Brahman (Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner 2)|"gods"]] in the sun.

Heat's thoughts are interrupted by Serph, who sits at his table and begins chatting with him. As they converse, Heat finds himself both drawn to and repulsed by Serph's natural talent for charming others. Serph explains how he uses body language and psychological tricks to subconsciously dominate conversations and manipulate others' behavior; his callousness disgusts Heat, who storms out of the cafeteria. Torn between gratitude and mistrust, Heat attempts to dismiss Serph and head to his next class, but both of them are summoned for another meeting with the police.

Back at the murder scene, an officer identifying himself as FBI agent Allen Harvey accuses Heat of being a spy, revealing that a certain highly-classified disc has gone missing in the wake of the professor's murder. Harvey puts up a much stronger resistance to Serph's attempts to influence the situation; undaunted by the investigator's obvious animosity, Serph continues to insist on finding the real culprit and defending his friend. Based on the condition of the crime scene and the professor's injuries, Serph concludes that Professor Harris was killed by accident, likely by somebody he knew very well.
==Part 2: Veritas==
The police react derisively to Serph's suggestion that Harris may have been murdered by his wife; regardless, Serph's deductions have cast doubt on the theory that Heat is the only possible culprit, and Heat's guilt is no longer assured. Though a part of Heat still questions whether Serph's dedication to him is just another act, by this point, his doubt is outweighed by his genuine feelings of gratitude and guilt.

After another day of interrogation, an exhausted Serph and Heat return to Heat's student apartment, which had been ransacked earlier by the police as part of their investigation. Worried that the incident might disrupt his progression towards his medical degree, Heat reflects on his reason for trying to graduate quickly: to be able to repay his student loans as soon as possible and not further burden his mother, the main source of financial and emotional support in his life after his younger sister's death. Serph, noticing Heat's melancholy, tries to guess at the reason for his grief, but when he begins to metaphorically describe the situation as a "catch-22," Heat reacts violently to the phrase.

After a bit of coaxing, Heat confesses his secret: nine years ago, he killed his sister. Heat's younger sister was born with DiGeorge Syndrome, a genetic disorder also colloquially known as CATCH-22. Because she was immunocompromised, Heat was forbidden to leave the house during an influenza epidemic; regardless, a nine-year-old Heat snuck out to play with his friends, inadvertently contracting the virus that would result in his sister's death. Heat still holds himself responsible for her death, and his obsessive study of medicine stems from his desire to save children impacted by genetic disorders like his sister. Serph listens to Heat's story without judgment. Eventually, he comforts Heat by inviting him to stay by his side from that point on, promising that the world will one day be theirs; overwhelmed, Heat simply nods.

[[Category:Plot Summaries]]

Plot:That's Catch 22

2026-07-22T22:37:56Z

Decarabia:

Serph Sheffield

2026-07-22T05:18:00Z

Decarabia: added TC22 info

{{Spoilers|media1=DDSAT2|media2=QDS1|type2=Novel}}
{{Image}}
{{Infobox Character
|image=<gallery>
DDSAT2 Serph Sheffield Render.png
</gallery>
|seoimage=
|jpname=サーフ・シェフィールド
|names=Shin Minase{{Exp App|novel=QDS1}}
|dob=
|age=22 ([[That's Catch 22]]){{Exp App|novel=TC22}}
|height=
|weight=
|bloodtype=
|relative=
|school=
|occupation=Psychologist
|affiliation=[[Karma Society]]
|race=
|va=
}}

'''{{PAGENAME}}''', known as '''Shin Minase''' in the ''[[Quantum Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner]]'' novels, is a character in the {{Link|Series|DDS-}}.

==Profile==
Serph Sheffield is a young man bearing a physical resemblance to the [[Embryon]]'s [[Serph]], with the only differences being his black hair and work attire in place of Serph's white hair and Embryon uniform.

==Gameplay==
==={{Link|Game|DDSAT2}}===
{{Main|[[Real Varna]]}}
Sheffield's data appears as a boss in the [[EGG Installation]] as [[Real Varna]], along with [[Fake Varna]]. During this fight, the player's party consists only of [[Serph]] and [[Heat O'Brien]].

==Game Appearances==
==={{Link|Game|DDSAT2}}===
Serph Sheffield was a [[Karma Society]] psychologist for the God Project who sought the power of [[Brahman (Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner 2)|Brahman]] for himself. For this purpose, he manipulated several people in the name of progress and at the cost of [[Sera]]'s health. Although he displayed his true self to his coworker, [[Heat O'Brien]], he presented a friendly facade to Sera and promised her gifts if she continued to improve her performance. This facade was the basis of an AI doppelganger of Sheffield within Sera's virtual paradise, which Sheffield would discover and give to Colonel [[Terrence Beck]] for the sake of developing combat AI despite O'Brien's protests, turning it into the [[Junkyard]].

During an attempt to communicate with Brahman, due to Sera's physical and mental stress, O'Brien interrupted the procedure by pointing a pistol at Sheffield. A researcher then accidentally began transmitting the event to Sera. O'Brien was shot in the back by the real [[Argilla]], who had been manipulated by Sheffield. Sheffield, unaware of the transmission, did not put up the facade he had been presenting Sera, inadvertently showing her his true nature. Sera's negative emotions at seeing this were then sent to Brahman, who reacted by unleashing corrupted data upon the Earth and blackening the [[Sun (Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner 2)|Sun]]. This corrupted data gave Sheffield and others [[Atma]]. The demonized Sheffield killed several people at the site in a rampage, including Colonel Beck and Argilla, before being killed himself.

Later, once [[Serph]] awakens within the [[EGG Installation]] after being wounded by [[Heat]], [[Schroedinger]] shows him the context behind the Black Sun and Sera's perception of Sheffield and O'Brien, to his despair. He is comforted by O'Brien's data, and confronted by Sheffield's data and the original AI Serph's data. Serph and O'Brien defeat the other Serphs, allowing for their data to return to their cycles and for O'Brien to rest in peace.

==Novel Appearances==
{{Sectionstub|type=Appearance|reason=Needs QDS info}}
==={{Link|Novel|TC22}}===
In {{Link|Novel|TC22}}, set in 2014, Serph Sheffield is a 16-year-old psychology student at Yale University. Despite his physically petite stature, Serph displays an uncanny ability to psychologically dominate others and manipulate their behavior to his advantage. Though he demonstrates a disregard for ethical and legal boundaries, showing no signs of remorse over wiretapping a professor's office simply for the sake of furthering his academic career, he appears to possess some amount of genuine loyalty towards [[Heat O'Brien]], with whom he promises to one day share the power of [[Brahman (Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner 2)|God]].

Contrasting his behavior six years later in the flashbacks shown in {{Link|Game|DDSAT2}}, 16-year-old Serph shows a greater willingness to extend sympathy towards others, comforting Heat over his past regrets and professing to value him as an equal. Although his motives are often inscrutable, Serph's quick wit and powerful analytical ability make him a dependable (though disconcerting) ally. Serph seems to have a bit of a selfish streak and enjoys pushing others' buttons, frequently teasing Heat in particular, and his tendency to flippantly disregard authority quickly earns him the ire of the police; at the same time, his undeniable intelligence also earns their begrudging respect. According to Heat, Serph possesses an innate charisma that naturally puts others at ease, though Heat also occasionally senses something threateningly inhuman beneath his usual charm.

Serph is from Portland, Oregon; he is implied to be from a wealthy family. Because of his academic ability, he is able to complete his undergraduate degree and enroll in graduate school by the age of 18. Serph's residential college during his time at Yale is Davenport.

==Nomenclature==
{{Names
|en1=Serph Sheffield
|en2=Shin Minase
|enE2={{Exp App|novel=QDS1}}
|ja1=サーフ・シェフィールド
|jaR1=Sāfu Shefīrudo
|jaM1=Serph Sheffield
|ja2=水無瀬眞
|jaR2=Minase Shin
|jaE2={{Exp App|novel=QDS}}
|jaM2=Shin Minase
|zhS=
|zhSR=
|zhSM=
|zhT=
|zhTR=
|zhTM=
|fr=
|frM=
|de=
|deM=
|it=
|itM=
|ko=
|koR=
|koM=
|esS=
|esSM=
}}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
</gallery>

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Pages created from boilerplates]]
[[Category:Characters in Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner 2]]

User:Decarabia

2026-07-22T01:35:15Z

Decarabia:

[[File:DeSu2 Decarabia Sprite.png|100px|center]]
 
<center>

[[File:DeSu2 Decarabia Sprite.png|10px]] WIP [[File:DeSu2 Decarabia Sprite.png|10px]]
 
[[That's Catch 22]]
 
[[Plot:That's Catch 22]]
 
[[Serph Sheffield]]
 
[[Heat O'Brien]]

</center>

Heat O'Brien

2026-07-22T01:11:20Z

Decarabia: added spoiler tag + TC22 info (incomplete)

{{Spoilers|media1=DDSAT2}}
{{Image}}
{{Infobox Character
|image=DDSAT2 Heat O'Brien Render.png
|seoimage=DDSAT2 Heat O'Brien Render.png
|jpname=ヒート・オブライエン
|names=True Heat{{Exp|In battle}} Kazuki Homura{{Exp App|novel=QDS}}
|dob=
|age=24 ([[That's Catch 22]]){{Exp App|novel=TC22}} 26 ([[Quantum Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner]]){{Exp App|novel=QDS3}}
|height=
|weight=
|bloodtype=
|relative=Unnamed parents{{Exp App|novel=QDS3}}{{Exp App|novel=TC22}} Unnamed younger sister (Deceased)([[That's Catch 22]]){{Exp App|novel=TC22}}
|school=
|occupation=Gene therapist
|affiliation=[[Karma Society]]
|va=
}}
'''{{PAGENAME}}''', known as '''Kazuki Homura''' in the ''{{Link|Novel|QDS}}'' novels, is a character in the {{Link|Series|DDS-}}.

==Profile==
In the {{Link|Series|DDS}} games and {{Link|Novel|TC22}}, Heat O'Brien is a young American man bearing a physical resemblance to the [[Embryon]]'s [[Heat]], with the only differences being his blond hair and laboratory attire in place of Heat's red hair and Embryon uniform.

In the {{Link|Novel|QDS}} novels, Kazuki Homura is three-quarters Japanese, with his maternal grandfather being German, giving his hair a red tint. He also holds Australian citizenship.

==Gameplay==
==={{Link|Game|DDSAT2}}===
Heat O'Brien, named True Heat during battle, appears as [[Agni (Atma)|Agni]] during the fight against [[Real Varna]] and [[Fake Varna]] as [[Serph]]'s only teammate. Unlike other party members, True Heat is incapable of reverting to his human form or participating in [[Combo Skill]]s. True Heat disappears from the party as soon as the battle ends.

{{DDSAT2 Ally Demon Stats
|name=True Heat
|level=45
|hp=330
|mp=284
|st=37
|vi=35
|ma=24
|ag=26
|lu=28
|fire=Rs
|firefrac=0.5
|ice=Wk
|icefrac=1.3
|skills=
{{Skill|DDSAT2|Agidyne}}
{{Skill|DDSAT2|Skull Cleave}}
{{Skill|DDSAT2|Chi Blast}}
{{Skill|DDSAT2|Mediarama}}
{{Skill|DDSAT2|Diarama}}
{{Skill|DDSAT2|Tarukaja}}
{{Skill|DDSAT2|Power Charge}}
{{Skill|DDSAT2|Samarecarm}}
}}

==Game Appearances==
==={{Link|Game|DDSAT2}}===
Heat O'Brien was a gene therapist working for the [[Karma Society]]'s God Project. He regularly protested against [[Serph Sheffield]]'s inhumane treatment of [[Sera]], and his hostile demeanor would cause Sera to perceive him as scary. Sera's perception of O'Brien served as the basis for his AI doppelganger in her virtual paradise, who itself would become the basis for the [[Junkyard]]'s [[Heat]].

Later, during an attempt to communicate with [[Brahman (Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner 2)|Brahman]], Sera's performance was lower than usual due to prolonged physical and mental stress. O'Brien interrupted the procedure by pointing a pistol at Sheffield, and a researcher inadvertently began broadcasting footage of the event to Sera. The real [[Argilla]], who had been manipulated by Sheffield, shot O'Brien in the back, and Sheffield did not put up the usual friendly facade he presented to Sera, revealing his true self to her. Sera's negative emotions at witnessing this were sent to Brahman, resulting in the [[Sun (Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner 2)|Black Sun]].

Heat O'Brien's data later appears in the [[EGG Installation]] to comfort [[Serph]] after he learns of Sheffield's actions. Then, the data of Sheffield and the AI Serph that existed prior to the Junkyard also appear, with the former confronting O'Brien for his death. Serph and O'Brien defeat the other Serphs, returning their data to their natural cycles and allowing O'Brien to rest in peace.

==Novel Appearances==
==={{Link|Novel|TC22}}===
{{Sectionstub|type=Appearance|reason=Incomplete summary}}
Heat O'Brien is a young Irish-American medical student attending Yale University during the events of {{Link|Novel|TC22}}.

Heat was born circa 1996 to an Irish mother and an English father on the East Coast of the United States. His younger sister was born with DiGeorge syndrome, a genetic disorder also colloquially called CATCH22; Heat, who was too young to understand his sister's condition, avoided her out of fear that she would infect him. In 2005, when Heat was nine years old and his sister was seven, the East Coast suffered an influenza epidemic. Because his sister was immunocompromised and Heat had not yet received his vaccination, their mother forbade him to leave the house, but Heat disobeyed her and snuck out to play with his friends. Tragically, he was infected, and the incident resulted in his younger sister's death.

Heat blamed himself for his sister's death and dedicated himself to the study of medicine, hoping to be able to save the lives of other children. After his parents divorced, Heat decided to stay with his mother and took her last name. Thanks to his academic dedication, his extracurricular boxing, and his mother's financial support, Heat was able to enroll in Yale University a year early, at the age of 17. Around that time, he learned of the existence of [[Cuvier Syndrome]]; upon learning that its first victim was also a seven-year-old girl, Heat became fixated on researching and fighting the disease.

{{Link|Novel|TC22}} takes place during Heat's sophomore year. Hoping to attend a guest lecture by [[Margot Cuvier]], Heat approaches medical professor Henry Harris to ask about open seats, only to end up losing his temper at the notoriously stuborn professor's anti-Irish bigotry. When he returns the next week to reluctantly apologize, he finds the professor bleeding out at his desk. Blinded by panic, Heat attempts to perform an impromptu surgical procedure to save his life, but other students arriving on the scene mistakenly assume Heat to be the professor's killer and forcefully subdue him.

==={{Link|Novel|QDS2}}===
[[Varin Omega]] calls some of the [[Embryon]] by unfamiliar names, including calling [[Heat]] Kazuki Homura. This is later revealed to be due to memories implanted in him of being [[William van Beck]], which were intentionally altered to drive Varin to want to kill "[[Shin Minase]]".

==={{Link|Novel|QDS3}}===
{{Sectionstub|type=Appearance}}
Kazuki Homura was born a psychic and an empath. His parents were afraid of him for his ability to sense their negative emotions, and he was abused as a child as a result. When he was seven years old, a social worker recognized the signs of abuse and Kazuki's parents were arrested, while Kazuki was transferred to a facility for protected children, where his abilities would be discovered and identified as Class B. Kazuki spent his youth in the facility and earned a scholarship to attend university and become a mental engineer. There, he met [[Shin Minase]] in a seminar for mental manipulation, and was surprised that Shin knew that he was a psychic despite the efforts he took to not reveal it.

Later, Kazuki started his practice as a Rank A mental engineer. He was approached by Shin to treat his sister, [[Kei Minase]], though he noted that her complaints could be handled by a psychiatrist. Shin then told him that he did not trust psychiatrists, nor did he want to risk entrusting his only family to someone who would only prescribe her some medicine, but he trusted Kazuki, a mental engineer that he had known for years at this point. Kazuki accepted his request and began treating Kei, though their sessions were unusually frequent and the treatment lasted much longer than usual, which her modest finances would have been unable to pay for if not for Shin's own large inherited wealth. It became apparent to him that most of Kei's symptoms were due to her brother's intense personality and her conflicting feelings towards him, and that she was deeply dependent on him, such that removing that dependence would cause her psyche to collapse. Kazuki gradually developed feelings for Kei, and before Kei could leave during the session where she explained her frustration at being a designer child, he embraced her and sent her his feelings, effectively confessing his love; a taboo for a mental engineer. Kei explained that she did love him as well, but that they should not be together due to Shin's influence. Their sessions became private meetups as lovers, and Kazuki stopped treating her, as he thought he should not try to fix her as her lover. Unbeknownst to him, Kei had contracted [[Cuvier Syndrome]] by the time they had their last session, and she completely crystallized a few months later, though Kazuki was instead informed that she was absent due to illness and that she committed suicide by jumping in front of a train. Kei's death shocked Kazuki deeply, and he became unable to work as a result. He was advised to take an indefinite leave using his paid vacation days by the master of the Tech Guild, which he accepted.

Kazuki spent months locked up in his flat, surviving off of periodic deliveries of water and supplements. One day, he wakes up to the sound of an incoming call from [[Shin Minase]], which he barely processed without viewing the recording a second time later, given that Shin's face was so identical to Kei's. Shin requested Kazuki's participation in the treatment of a patient with an extremely complicated condition, which he accepted, despite later regretting his decision during his flight from Melbourne to New York. Arriving there, Kazuki was pulled aside to another runway by men that had tailed him from Melbourne, where several men in black suits and a small flyer were waiting. Kazuki, realizing that he had been deceived, tried to resist, but he was anaesthetised and taken to the [[EGG Installation|EGG]], where the situation was explained in more detail by Shin, who revealed that he was in a similar situation as Kazuki.

Shin introduced Kazuki to [[Sera]], though Sera could not perceive Kazuki. He was dumbfounded at how she moved through him and could seemingly teleport, but still could physically interact with Shin and a handkerchief he was using to clean her feet. Shin then took Kazuki from Sera's room to the residential area of the EGG, where he met many of the other researchers and was led to Shin's room for a proper explanation of the history behind [[Jenna Angel|Angel]] and Sera, and the nature of [[God (Quantum Devil Saga)|God]] and the Cuvier Syndrome. The next day, Kazuki went through a battery of examinations to evaluate his health, register him to the facility, and create a digital avatar that Sera could perceive. He then met with [[Annabella di Fiori]], who explained the purpose of the avatar and some of the technical aspects of the EGG, and was met by Shin, who took him to Sera's room again. This time, [[Cielo Alondra]] was there, dancing, and made apparent to Kazuki that he too was a psychic, then left the room. Shin suggested to Kazuki that he should try touching Sera, which he managed to do, causing his proxy to receive updates from Sera's touch. He then saw Sera's lips move, and heard Kei's voice, which startled him, but Sera was no longer interested, so he was forced to return later.

==={{Link|Novel|QDS5}}===
Kazuki appears to talk with [[Serph]] while the latter is in the "shore of nothingness", observing [[Heat]]'s fight against the remaining Embryon from there and regaining his body in the process, and he introduces himself. When Heat merges with the [[EGG Installation|EGG]]'s gate, Serph decides to stop Heat for his friends' sake. Kazuki contemplates causality, pointing out that Serph's Water Crown brand is the same as [[Shin Minase]]'s, both representing a "curse", and that causality might have been why he met Shin, loved [[Kei Minase|Kei]], and chased her phantom in [[Sera]]. Kazuki elaborates that he is only there to help fulfill Serph's goal, and that he will go find Kei and Shin and apologize to them afterwards. Kazuki takes Serph's hand and puts it in his body, allowing Serph to connect to Heat's energy channel and emerge in the physical world from within Heat.

==Nomenclature==
The surname used in ''Quantum Devil Saga'' is homophonous with {{translit|ja|焰|homura|inline=y}}, meaning "flame".
{{Names
|en1=Heat O'Brien
|en2=True Heat
|enE2={{Exp App|DDSAT2 (Battle)}}
|en3=Kazuki Homura
|enE3={{Exp App|novel=QDS}}
|ja1=ヒート・オブライエン
|jaR1=Hīto Oburaien
|jaM1=Heat O'Brien
|ja2=リアルヒート
|jaE2={{Exp App|DDSAT2 (Battle)}}
|jaR2=Riaruhīto
|jaM2=Real Heat
|ja3=穂村一幾
|jaE3={{Exp App|novel=QDS}}
|jaR3=Homura Kazuki
|jaM3=Kazuki Homura
}}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
</gallery>

[[Category:Pages created from boilerplates]]
[[Category:Characters in Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner 2]]

Plot:That's Catch 22

2026-07-19T02:52:37Z

Decarabia:

User:Decarabia

2026-07-18T23:49:44Z

Decarabia:

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[[File:DeSu2 Decarabia Sprite.png|10px]] WIP [[File:DeSu2 Decarabia Sprite.png|10px]]
 
[[That's Catch 22]]
 
[[Plot:That's Catch 22]]

</center>

Plot:That's Catch 22

2026-07-18T23:16:00Z

Decarabia:

User:Decarabia

2026-07-17T08:45:03Z

Decarabia: Created page with " center"

[[File:DeSu2 Decarabia Sprite.png|200x200px|center]]

Plot:That's Catch 22

2026-07-17T08:41:11Z

Decarabia: Created page with "{{Stub|series=DDS|reason=Incomplete summary}} ==Part 1: Lux== Heat O'Brien, an 18-year-old pre-med student at Yale University, finds medical professor Henry Harris bleeding out from a stab wound to the chest. Though he attempts to resucitate the professor, other students arrive on the scene and mistakenly assume that Heat was the one who stabbed him. Heat is detained by the police for several hours and questioned mercilessly, until Serph Sheffield appears and su..."

That's Catch 22

2026-07-17T07:25:46Z

Decarabia:

{{Stub|type=Novel|series=DDS}}
{{Infobox Book
|jptitle=That's catch22
|jpmean=
|imagecover=<gallery>
TC22 Part 1 Cover.png|Part 1
TC22 Part 2 Cover.png|Part 2
</gallery>
|imagelogo=
|seoimage=TC22 Part 1 Cover.png
|author=[[Tadashi Satomi]]
|illustrator=
|publisher=
|genre=
|published=August 5, 2004 (Part1) August 25, 2004 (Part 2)
|isbn=
|displaytitle=''That's catch22''|title=''That's catch22''}}
'''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is a novel in the {{Link|Series|DDS-}}. It was published in {{Link|Book|DDSAT1MG1}} and {{Link|Book|DDSAT1MG2}}.

==Synopsis==

Set in 2014, six years before their deaths, the novel describes the circumstances of [[Heat O'Brien]] and [[Serph Sheffield]]'s first meeting.

O'Brien, having falsely been accused of the murder of a professor, receives unexpected aid from a mysterious boy claiming to be his best friend. Though he doubts Sheffield's intentions at first, he quickly realizes that Serph's uncanny intelligence may be the key to successfully proving his innocence. As the investigation progresses, the characters develop a bond that foreshadows their eventual work together on the God Project.
{{SeePlot}}

==Listings==
===[[Characters in {{PAGENAME}}|Characters]]===

==Nomenclature==
{{Names
|en=
|ja=That's catch22
|jaR=
|jaM=
|zhS=
|zhSR=
|zhSM=
|zhT=
|zhTR=
|zhTM=
|fr=
|frM=
|de=
|deM=
|it=
|itM=
|ko=
|koR=
|koM=
|esS=
|esSM=
}}


[[Category:Digital Devil Saga Novels]]