(Disclaimer: The MC's language is Filipino, but I'm gonna write anything he says in English, so non-Filipino speakers can understand the story.)

====================

Unknown Location
--:--

A soldier gapsed as his eyes shot wide open, his brown orbs rapidly looking round, seemingly panicking. He sat up and patted himself, making sure that he's not dreaming or something.

"How... am I alive? Where am I?" He thought.

He looks around, only to find trees instead of the destroyed urban buildings of Marawi, which was still under siege. What confused him more is that how he was still alive, and his weapons and gear was still with him - an M16A1 rifle, an M1911, spare magazines, some grenades, and his backpack which was full of survival supplies.

He still remembers his name - Anthony Dela Cruz. He was a Scout Ranger in the Philippine Army, and the leader of one of the team tasked to capture or kill one of the most wanted militants in the Philippines.

A mission that didn't end well for him and his comrades. They were ambushed and were surrounded from all sides. Though his teammates managed to get out, he chose to stay and hold off the militants long enough for them to escape. He remembered getting hit in the legs and torso, but he fought on until he succumbed to his injuries.

Anthony snapped out of his thoughts and pressed the button of his radio, which was located on the left side of his chest rig. "This is Captain Dela Cruz to Base Command. Do you read?"

Expecting a response, the Ranger waited patiently, but he only got a silence as a reply.

"Fuck... Dead radio. Great." Anthony sighed.

Anthony picked up his rifle, and suddenly heard something approaching from afar. He quickly hid at a bush and prepared his rifle, his finger slowly moving closer to the trigger.

The unknown individuals soon revealed to be a group of men in a medieval armor, all carrying bows and spears. Behind them was a carriage, pulled by two brown horses.

Anthony counted ten of the men. He waited for them to pass, when he suddenly caught a glimpse of a blonde-haired girl in a fancy white dress, her wrists tied with a rope.

Accompanying her was another girl with a brown hair, though she was in an armor similar to the men in front of the carriage and she was seemingly more well-equipped than the men in the front. Her wrists were also tied in rope similiar to the blonde girl.

Anthony immediately thought that he was somehow transported in a medieval era. He had read books about an individual dying - mostly caused by a truck running over them - and being sent to the past or in an entirely different world.

The Ranger focused his thoughts back towards the individuals he now persumed as hostages. He could engage the men around them, but it could blow his cover since he don't want his identity to be revealed yet.

He decided to follow them instead, trying his best to stay silent as possible. Thanks to his training, he easily trailed after them without much inconvenience.

====================

It was already night, and the moonlight was the only one giving light towards the dark surroundings. The group Anthony was following had arrived at a medium-sized house.

There was a camp on the outside, and there's not much people was present except for two archers, each standing on top of their individual watchtowers present a few meters away from the main building.

Anthony himself was behind a tree, watching everything unfold. He then saw the bandits roughly grabbing the two girls and pushing them towards the house, all laughing at their pitiful state.

Anthony clicked his tongue in anger and thinked all the possible options. He could take out the archers first, but he needs to be silent since he doesn't have a supressor or anything to lower the sound of his guns.

"Stealth is the only option, huh?" Anthony mumbled, observing the movements of the archers. "No choice, then.

The Ranger then examined the building, looking for any possible entrances for him to sneak into. Seeing none, he chose to take down the archers.

He placed his rifle and backpack down before grabbing his combat knife. Anthony picked up and stone and threw it at each of the archers, startling them as they quickly drew their bows, aiming at different directions.

"Who's there?!" One of the archers shouted, only to hear a deafening silence.

"Show yourself, coward!" The second one added.

Another rock was thrown, alerting the archers. They didn't know whoever or whatever was causing it, causing them to tremble. Seeing no choice, the two men went down from their watchtowers and went to the woods.

One of the archers unknowingly went towards where Anthony was hiding at. He was shaking, sweat running down his face, his hands struggling to get a frim grip on his bow.

A hand suddenly covers his mouth, preventing his screams to come out as a knife dug in to his throat, blood slowoy pouring out of where the knife was at.

The knife was soon pulled away, the archer's dead body slumping towards the ground with a silent thud.

The second archer went out of the woods after searching, a look of weariness on his face.

"Must've been the wind..." He thought aloud and looked out for the other archer, but he couldn't find him anywhere. "Ben? You there, mate?"

An arrow soon streaked in their and pierced through his throat. He dropped to the ground, his cries for help slowly getting drowned by his own blood.

Anthony emerged from the shadows, looking around for any threats. After making sure that no one spots him, he picked up his bag and slung it onto his back, before picking up his rifle and contiuing on his objective.

Anthony went to the side of the house and peeked at the window, seeing the bandits happily drinking together while the two girls he saw earlier were in the center.

The number of the bandits were less than earlier, though Anthony thought that the others went out or already in their rooms.

"Oh, I will surely enjoy this~" One of the bandits laughed, running his hands on the thigh of the blonde-haired girl.

"P-Please stop..." The blonde girl pleaded, tears already streaming down her cheeks.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll be gentle~" The bandit replied with a laugh.

"Let her go, bastard!" The female knight shouted at the bandit, only to get punched in the gut by another bandit. She coughed loudly, while the others simply laughed at her.

"I'll enjoy breaking her." The bandit who punched the female knight remarked with a smirk.

Anthony had seen enough, and decided to end this quickly. Without hesitation, he pulled the charging handle of his rifle and lets it go, as a fresh round was loaded the chamber.

He rushed towards the door and kicked it open, aiming at the adversaries before pressing the trigger.

*bang*

*bang*

*bang*

Three bandits were already shot dead in the head, their bodies falling to the wood floor. The bandits and the hostages were surprised by the sudden appearance of the Ranger, all terrified by his presence.

One of the bandits pulled out a sword, but he was immediately shot in the chest, killing him instantly. The others became terrified and tried to flee, but were gunned down by the monster who suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

The remaining bandit moved towards the blonde-haired girl, pressing the tip of his blade against her throat. "D-Don't come any closer! Move an inch an I'll kill her!"

Anthony didn't flinch at the threat and aimed his rifle at the bandit. The blonde-haired girl became terrified, afraid that she might get hit.

*bang*

The bullet directly went towards the bandit's head, ending his miserable life. Anthony lowered his gun and walked closer to the two. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yes... we're fine, thanks to you." The female knight replied, still shocked on what just happened.

"W-who are you?" The blonde girl asked.

Anthony pulled out his pocket knife and cut the ropes. "I know you have some questions, but we need to get out of here."