Saal goes back home and discusses the next move with his right hand man, Rasheed. Rasheed wants to know if they will let the military know that they are the ones who ambushed them. Saal says they will not do it because they do not have enough men yet. He hopes to join forces with other groups in order to take over Mindanao and the entire country. Saal’s dream is to make the Philippines the first caliphate in Asia (a caliphate is a territory governed by Islamic rule).
However, the other groups are not happy with Saal and see his ambush on the military as reckless. One of them says that Saal is not as good a leader as his father, Yosef, was. His mother however advices Saal to take his time until the rest of the people trust in him.
Meanwhile, the soldiers who perished are given an honorary send off. Because of what he went through, Alex cannot go back to his normal life. He is constantly reminded of the ordeal he suffered as the soldiers died so he decides to become a soldier as well. His parents Dante and Minda, as well as his brother, Elmer, are all against it. Minda however wants to let Alex pursue his dream of becoming a soldier. Dante seems reluctant because of the circumstances in which he found Alex. Even with their disapproval, Alex makes up his mind to join the military training camp.
During orientation, Alex meets other aspiring soldiers. There is Abraham, a Filipino Muslim who wants to serve the country, Michael (AKA Striker), who hopes to earn a living for his family and Benjie, who wants to pay tribute to his deceased brother, Olan. Alex becomes friends with Benjie because Olan was the soldier who saved him.
Elmer (Alex’s brother) becomes the training officer for the new batch. He is set on proving that Alex cannot become a soldier and constantly picks on him. The new soldiers have a difficult time during training and one of them is sent home due to an injured leg. Michael also decides to leave and get a job to support his family but he receives news that he has passed.
Source: Blasters Series
