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Chapter 259: Apocalypse! (2)
🕑 Added 2025-03-05 12:45:43 +0000 UTCThe first victims were the outdated Indian tanks forming the blockade around the hotel—eight old Sherman M4s.
These WWII-era tanks, once considered formidable, were now nothing more than outdated relics on the verge of obsolescence. Against the 14.5mm anti-aircraft machine guns firing armor-piercing rounds—several decades ahead in technology—they were nothing but paper targets, instantly shredded beyond recognition.
As for the unfortunate Indian soldiers caught in the hail of bullets, there wasn’t even a chance to find intact body parts—only scattered pieces of flesh remained.
Next, the artillery positions became the target. If even tanks couldn’t withstand the barrage, what hope did these lightly protected guns have?
Worse, the Indian soldiers had stacked their ammunition dangerously close to the artillery. A single burst of gunfire set off a chain reaction, causing massive explosions that sent entire cannons flying into the air.
Such devastating firepower and brutal battlefield carnage were almost unheard of in the Asian theater, terrifying the Indian soldiers into a complete rout. Officers screamed for order, but it was pointless—the officers themselves were fleeing faster than their troops.
Seeing the Indian army collapse in mere moments, the Apocalypse Tank ceased fire. In an act of utter defiance, it arrogantly rolled northward right under Nehru’s nose, moving at a seemingly slow yet unstoppable pace.
Everything in its path—houses, vehicles, walls—was effortlessly crushed into rubble. Nothing could stand in its way.
"Call the air force! Stop that thing at all costs! And get me a photograph of it—those damn Soviets owe us an explanation!" Nehru roared at his trembling secretary, who was still cowering on the ground.
Why blame the Soviets?
Because emblazoned on the Apocalypse Tank’s hull was a large, unmistakable hammer-and-sickle emblem.
Even though the sudden appearance of a Soviet super-tank in New Delhi was absurd, and Nehru knew there was a high chance this was a setup, he didn’t care.
That emblem gave him the perfect excuse to push the blame onto the Soviets.
In his mind, nothing would serve as a better bargaining chip in future negotiations.
But there was one crucial detail Nehru overlooked—whether he even had the qualifications to negotiate with the Soviets in the first place.
Did he really think they were the kind of people who would sit down and talk things out?
Of course, Nehru had no such standing—but Josh did, at least to some extent.
"Mr. Kahn, please believe me—that absolutely isn’t ours!"
Meanwhile, Claire Voyant wiped the cold sweat from her forehead, her voice filled with anxiety as she spoke to Josh.
As a high-ranking Soviet intelligence officer, Claire Voyant was well aware of the Red Army’s actual tank inventory.
Yes, after the IS-3, the Soviets had indeed developed various heavy and even super-heavy tank projects.
But Voyant was absolutely certain—none of them included anything remotely like the behemoth they had just witnessed.
Although, admittedly, the tank’s design did look distinctly Soviet.
Besides, most of the Soviet super-heavy tank projects had already been scrapped.
The recent war between Austria and Yugoslavia had proven something crucial: Austria’s mass deployment of AMX-30 main battle tanks had forced militaries worldwide to realize that traditional classifications of medium and heavy tanks were becoming obsolete.
The era of the main battle tank had officially begun.
Among all the nations reacting to this incident, the fastest, without a doubt, was the United States—Austria’s "big brother."
With the AMX-30 main battle tank as a template, America had already entered the prototype testing phase for its own new-generation main battle tank.
Soviet military experts weren’t fools either. They had immediately halted all heavy tank production and research, shifting their focus toward developing more versatile main battle tanks.
It could be said that, due to Josh’s influence—along with Austria’s—the world’s military weaponry had advanced at least twenty years ahead of schedule.
However!
The appearance of this super tank on the streets of New Delhi had already surpassed the conventional military role of a tank.
To Voyant, that monstrosity disappearing into the distance wasn’t a tank at all.
A "steel fortress" would be a far more fitting description.
Even though she wasn’t a technical specialist, as an intelligence officer, she knew enough about military technology to understand one thing—she had absolutely no idea what kind of engine could power such a colossal war machine.
But that wasn’t even the biggest issue.
The real problem was—why the hell was it painted with their national emblem?!
This was definitely bad news.
The Soviet Union was already under constant pressure from the Western world. If this thing became the centerpiece of Western propaganda…
Voyant couldn’t even begin to imagine the consequences.
"As someone who personally witnessed this event, of course I believe you, Ms. Voyant… But given the current situation, you should understand how the higher-ups will spin this story. There’s nothing I can do to change that," Josh said solemnly, his gaze fixed on the departing Apocalypse Tank, wearing an expression of helplessness.
'Tsk, boss’s acting skills are getting more and more refined. If he went to Hollywood, he’d definitely win an Oscar.'
Vito, standing next to him with an equally serious expression, couldn't help but admire Josh's flawless performance.
There was no doubt—only Josh could have brought out an Apocalypse Tank in this world.
And in fact, this tank was specifically prepared as the escape vehicle for the First Jedi Knights.
Given its sheer power, even the United States of this era would struggle to counter it—let alone the Indian army.
Josh had no doubt that the Indians lacked the capability to stop it effectively.
Once the tank reached the mountains of Nepal in the northeast, its 24 operators only needed to hold out until Josh arrived for extraction.
At that point, he would simply store the entire tank in his system inventory—perfectly clean.
As for the Soviet emblem on the hull?
That was just Josh’s personal touch.
After all, an Apocalypse Tank without a Soviet insignia wouldn’t feel complete, would it?
And so, the chaos in New Delhi came to an end, following the Indian army’s crushing defeat and the massive unrest sparked by the tank’s rampage.
Of course, the turmoil was only over in New Delhi.
For the entire Indian nation, the real show was just beginning.
(A/N: Historical Note: Some argue that the capital at the time was simply "Delhi," but according to available records, the British began building New Delhi in 1911, and by 1931 it had already replaced Delhi as the new administrative capital.
When India gained independence in 1947, New Delhi remained the capital, though it wasn't officially called the "national capital" because India hadn't yet become a republic.
It was not until 1950, after the formal establishment of the Republic, that New Delhi was officially designated as the capital.
Functionally, however, New Delhi had served as the capital since 1931-unrelated to the conflicts of the 1960s.)
