Within the center of the hall, Aria, dressed in a white robe, stood in front of Atharva, who was holding a knife in his hand.
"Now you must clutch this knife blade in your hand as you repeat the Blood Oath. Remember, you must be sincere." Saying so Atharva held out the knife, waiting for Aria to clutch its blade.
Sensing the somber ambiance, Aria did not dally any longer and clutched the blade in the palm of his right hand. The grip was so tight that his skin cracked and blood seeped on the edges of the blade. But for some reason, Aria felt a cold sensation from the blade that soothed the pain.
"Good, now pay attention." Atharva continued, "I, Atharva, member of the Heavenly Martial Way, induct Aria as the current generation successor of the Heavenly Martial Way with the Heavens as the witness."
