diff --git a/proxmox_vm.vm_id.delete.to.jsons.sh b/proxmox_vm.vm_id.delete.to.jsons.sh
index bf2fbbf..84cb0be 100755
--- a/proxmox_vm.vm_id.delete.to.jsons.sh
+++ b/proxmox_vm.vm_id.delete.to.jsons.sh
@@ -68,6 +68,17 @@ fi
 
 #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### ####
 
+if [[ "${RANGE42_PROXMOX_API_FORCE:-auto}" != "off" ]]; then
+  if proxmox__inc.api_reachable.sh ; then
+    devkit_utils.text.echo_trace.to.text.to.stderr.sh "proxmox API reachable - delegating to proxmox_vm.vm_id.delete_with_api.to.jsons.sh"
+    exec proxmox_vm.vm_id.delete_with_api.to.jsons.sh "$@"
+  else
+    devkit_utils.text.echo_trace.to.text.to.stderr.sh "proxmox API not reachable - using ansible slow path"
+  fi
+fi
+
+#### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### ####
+
 proxmox__inc.warmup_checks.sh
 proxmox__inc.warmup_checks_stdin.sh
 
diff --git a/proxmox_vm.vm_id.delete_with_api.to.jsons.sh b/proxmox_vm.vm_id.delete_with_api.to.jsons.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..6e1ed5b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/proxmox_vm.vm_id.delete_with_api.to.jsons.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,164 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+#### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### ####
+# PR-NN
+set -euo pipefail
+
+ACTION="vm_delete"
+DEFAULT_OUTPUT_JSON=true
+POLL_TIMEOUT_SECONDS=60
+
+#### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### ####
+
+show_example() {
+  echo "  :: WITH VALUES FROM STDIN (as plain text)"
+  echo
+  echo "    echo \"100\" | $(basename "$0")"
+  echo "    echo \"101\" | $(basename "$0") --json"
+  echo "    echo \"102\" | $(basename "$0") --text"
+  echo
+  echo "  :: WITH VALUES FROM STDIN (as JSON lines)"
+  echo
+  echo "    proxmox_vm.list.to.jsons.sh          | $(basename "$0")"
+  echo "    proxmox_vm.list_with_api.to.jsons.sh | $(basename "$0")"
+}
+
+if [ "${1-}" = '-h' ] || [ "${1-}" = '--help' ]; then
+  echo
+  echo NAME
+  echo
+  echo "  $(basename "$0") - Destroy VM - direct Proxmox HTTPS API call ($ACTION)"
+  echo
+  echo OPTIONS
+  echo
+  echo "                     $(basename "$0") [-h|--help]"
+  echo "  STDIN :: [VM_ID] | $(basename "$0") [--json]    - force output as json *default"
+  echo "  STDIN :: [VM_ID] | $(basename "$0") [--text]    - force output as text"
+  echo
+  echo EXAMPLE
+  echo
+  echo "$(show_example)"
+  echo
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+#### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### ####
+
+OUTPUT_JSON="$DEFAULT_OUTPUT_JSON"
+
+while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
+  case "$1" in
+    --json) OUTPUT_JSON=true ; shift ;;
+    --text) OUTPUT_JSON=false ; shift ;;
+    *)
+      echo "ERROR: unknown arg '$1'" >&2
+      show_example >&2
+      exit 1
+      ;;
+  esac
+done
+
+if [ -t 0 ]; then
+  echo "ERROR: no input on stdin. Pipe vm_id(s) (plain text or JSON lines)." >&2
+  show_example >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+#### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### ####
+
+if [[ -z "${RANGE42_ANSIBLE_ROLES__DEVKITS_DIR:-}" ]]; then
+  echo "ERROR: RANGE42_ANSIBLE_ROLES__DEVKITS_DIR is not set. Activate a workspace first (range42-context use ...)." >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+if [[ -z "${RANGE42_VAULT_PASSWORD_FILE:-}" ]]; then
+  echo "ERROR: RANGE42_VAULT_PASSWORD_FILE is not set. Activate a workspace first (range42-context use ...)." >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+VAULT_FILE="$RANGE42_ANSIBLE_ROLES__DEVKITS_DIR/secrets/default_vault.yml"
+VAULT_PW="$RANGE42_VAULT_PASSWORD_FILE"
+
+[[ -r "$VAULT_FILE" ]] || { echo "ERROR: vault file not readable: $VAULT_FILE" >&2 ; exit 1 ; }
+[[ -r "$VAULT_PW"   ]] || { echo "ERROR: vault password file not readable: $VAULT_PW" >&2 ; exit 1 ; }
+
+#### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### ####
+
+VAULT_YAML="$(ansible-vault view "$VAULT_FILE" --vault-password-file "$VAULT_PW")"
+
+API_HOST="$(printf '%s\n'         "$VAULT_YAML" | yq -r '.proxmox_api_host')"
+API_USER="$(printf '%s\n'         "$VAULT_YAML" | yq -r '.proxmox_api_user')"
+API_TOKEN_ID="$(printf '%s\n'     "$VAULT_YAML" | yq -r '.proxmox_api_token_id')"
+API_TOKEN_SECRET="$(printf '%s\n' "$VAULT_YAML" | yq -r '.proxmox_api_token_secret')"
+NODE="$(printf '%s\n'             "$VAULT_YAML" | yq -r '.proxmox_node')"
+
+for v in API_HOST API_USER API_TOKEN_ID API_TOKEN_SECRET NODE ; do
+  if [[ -z "${!v}" || "${!v}" == "null" ]]; then
+    echo "ERROR: missing vault key for $v" >&2
+    exit 1
+  fi
+done
+
+AUTH_HEADER="Authorization: PVEAPIToken=${API_USER}!${API_TOKEN_ID}=${API_TOKEN_SECRET}"
+BASE_URL="https://${API_HOST}/api2/json/nodes/${NODE}"
+
+#### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### ####
+
+while IFS= read -r LINE ; do
+  [[ -z "$LINE" ]] && continue
+
+  VM_ID="$(printf '%s' "$LINE" | jq -rR '
+    (fromjson? // null) as $p |
+    if   $p == null                                              then .
+    elif ($p | type) == "object" and ($p | has("vm_id"))         then ($p.vm_id | tostring)
+    else . end
+  ' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+
+  if ! [[ "$VM_ID" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]]; then
+    devkit_utils.text.echo_trace.to.text.to.stderr.sh "skip line, cannot extract integer vm_id: $LINE"
+    continue
+  fi
+
+  # Fetch vm_name before destroying
+  CURRENT_RESP_PRE="$(curl -sk -H "$AUTH_HEADER" "${BASE_URL}/qemu/${VM_ID}/status/current" || true)"
+  VM_NAME="$(printf '%s' "$CURRENT_RESP_PRE" | jq -r '.data.name // "?"')"
+
+  DELETE_RESP="$(curl -sk -X DELETE \
+    -H "$AUTH_HEADER" \
+    "${BASE_URL}/qemu/${VM_ID}" || true)"
+  UPID="$(printf '%s' "$DELETE_RESP" | jq -r '.data // empty')"
+  if [[ -z "$UPID" || "$UPID" == "null" ]]; then
+    devkit_utils.text.echo_trace.to.text.to.stderr.sh "DELETE did not return a UPID for vm_id ${VM_ID}. response: $DELETE_RESP"
+    continue
+  fi
+
+  UPID_ENC="$(jq -rn --arg u "$UPID" '$u|@uri')"
+  elapsed=0
+  TASK_STATUS=""
+  while (( elapsed < POLL_TIMEOUT_SECONDS )); do
+    TASK_RESP="$(curl -sk -H "$AUTH_HEADER" "${BASE_URL}/tasks/${UPID_ENC}/status" || true)"
+    TASK_STATUS="$(printf '%s' "$TASK_RESP" | jq -r '.data.status // empty')"
+    if [[ "$TASK_STATUS" == "stopped" ]]; then
+      break
+    fi
+    sleep 1
+    elapsed=$((elapsed + 1))
+  done
+  if [[ "${TASK_STATUS:-}" != "stopped" ]]; then
+    devkit_utils.text.echo_trace.to.text.to.stderr.sh "task ${UPID} did not reach 'stopped' within ${POLL_TIMEOUT_SECONDS}s (last: ${TASK_STATUS:-unknown})."
+  fi
+
+  OUT_JSON="$(jq -nc \
+    --arg action "$ACTION" \
+    --arg source "proxmox-api" \
+    --arg proxmox_node "$NODE" \
+    --arg vm_id "$VM_ID" \
+    --arg vm_name "$VM_NAME" \
+    --arg vm_status "deleted" \
+    '{action:$action, source:$source, proxmox_node:$proxmox_node, vm_id:$vm_id, vm_name:$vm_name, vm_status:$vm_status}')"
+
+  if [[ "$OUTPUT_JSON" == true ]]; then
+    printf '%s\n' "$OUT_JSON"
+  else
+    printf '%s\n' "$OUT_JSON" | jq -r 'to_entries[] | "\(.key)=\(.value)"'
+  fi
+done