First, Lee Shin-Woo split up the Vampires into three groups and sent them off to three different Anti-Skull bases. He stated that he'd go to the last remaining base, but he was actually planning to send the Pauls to take care of it.

[Three days. In three days, we'll regroup here and go to the capital.]

"B-But Lord Arema, what about the thorn wall..."

[Hoo. You'll see when we get there… Prepare yourself for death. For the Emperor!]

"F-For the Emperor!"

And so, Lee Shin-Woo expertly fooled them and sent them away. After that, he cemented his alibi. To be exact, he planned on sneaking into the capital alone as Arema and then coming out barely alive.

"Shin-Woo, are you really going to go to the capital?"

"Think about it. This is a good opportunity for me to take a look around the capital without them suspecting that it was the Heaven Defying General or the heroes."

Because he'd taken out Arema last, the palace didn't know what had happened to the Metal God General and his forces.

He would cause chaos as Arema Steelworker and paint a target on the Vampires' backs; then he'd take what he came for and leave.

"I need...