To maintain order in an arena holding hundreds of thousands of people, England's Ministry of Magic mobilized all its openly deployed armed forces.
The Purple-Robed Wizarding Army and the Wizarding Police alone, including the Reserve Corps, fielded over ten thousand personnel.
Organized into teams of ten, more than a thousand orderly squads were stationed along the passageways of the enormous circular arena.
Not only that, every Ministry of Magic under England's authority that had directly pledged allegiance sent all its elite Aurors, adding another ten thousand or more to patrol the perimeter.
Once all the spectators had entered, the ever-growing Dragon Legion flew in from the sea farther out.
Hundreds of dragons circled outside the arena, their roars shaking the surrounding landscape.
Anyone paying close attention would have noticed that the dragons' patrol routes consistently targeted the quarter of the arena occupied by the Double Serpent Society.
The Dragon Knights on their backs gripped the firing mechanisms of their enormous crossbows, keeping the bolts aimed squarely at those black-robed figures.
A closer look would also have revealed that the spectators near the Double Serpent Society's section were all Werewolf Wizards disguised as ordinary spectators.
If fighting broke out, these Werewolf Wizards would immediately transform into giant wolf warriors and plunge straight into battle, tearing every enemy apart with their claws!
The black-cloaked Cloak Figures whose robes bore Twin Serpents embroidery were naturally on guard as well, ready to transform and sacrifice themselves at any moment.
Meanwhile, the White-Clad Believers had been praying silently ever since entering. Faith, invisible to ordinary eyes, poured like a flood into the Cross Edward held.
The Legendary Arena had yet to open, but the covert standoff had long since begun.
Fudge, who had arrived early, stood at the hosting station set up between the two