Ultima Ratio

Chapter 78: Multiple Personalities

Akira's chest hollowed. She knew they had been worried about multiple people like Danya; she never would have thought there would be more than one Garza.

"Explain," she ordered, hoping that her steady gun would speak for itself.

Thankfully, Garza complied. "The one who gave me these injuries, the one that took my arm—that's the Victor Garza you're looking for."

His words were cut off as he delved into a fit of coughs. As terrible as they sounded, and as terrible as Garza looked, Akira refused to feel any sympathy.

But she couldn't help but notice exactly how different Garza looked from what Danya remembered. Aside from his scraggly appearance, he was significantly older with an air of exhaustion that seemed to be attributed to more than just his injuries. Dark shadows underlined his bloodshot eyes, and the way his back slouched explained why they hadn't noticed his missing limb with their thermal vision.

"Apologies," he murmured roughly when he regained his voice. "Time hasn't exactly been kind to me."

"Ironic," Jivan muttered as they carefully helped Navin to his feet, the former action earning them a sharp hiss from Quyen.

Surprisingly, Garza chuckled, his laugh low and self-deprecating.

"It is, isn't it?" He paused to wince. "I meddled with time; it's only fitting for time to screw me over in return."

"Get to the part where you start explaining," Quyen said.

Garza let out a slow and heavy sigh before he carefully nodded.

"I'm from the future." He tilted his head. "But you probably guessed that already, didn't you?"

In response, the squad kept their guns trained on him.

"You did." He glanced at each of their helmeted heads. "And you know exactly what I've done."

"Humor us," Akira said, glancing at the recording icon on her earpiece's projection.

"You need a confession," Garza said. "But you have to understand that while I may be guilty, there's still a greater danger out there."

Akira frowned. After a second, she flicked a switch on her gun; another second later, she shot Garza in the knee.

Garza managed a brief yelp before Quyen jumped beside him with a hand clamped over his mouth. Soon after, she slid her arm down to snake around his neck in warning.

"Do what she says," Quyen said, her gun disappearing behind Garza's back.

After merely furrowing his brows for a few seconds, Garza sighed tightly.

"I'm not trying to be your enemy," he said through gritted teeth, his face beginning to glisten with sweat.

"Prove it," Akira snapped. "Why are you here? In this era?"

"To carry out a misguided mission," Garza said. "I wanted to avert the reality of my time, and my naive self thought this would be the best way."

"Why?" Jivan asked, ignoring how Quyen's helmet immediately snapped towards their direction. "Was it some god-awful, post-apocalyptic dystopia? Were kids competing to their deaths for the entertainment of others?"

Again, Garza weakly chuckled. "Hardly. The world was thriving—a little too well, actually. Without any problems, there was no desire for innovation. People lived just to live; there was no purpose, no ambition or drive. We were stagnant. Humanity thought we had reached the pinnacle of civilization; I thought differently. I thought that without the proper guidance, humanity would eventually succumb to their own hubris." He let out a soft sigh. "Little did I know that I was no better."