Counter

They are the most important force of mankind, who got to be known to the world after the Counterside appeared.[sic]
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A **Counter** is a superpowered human using a **Watch**, born with unique abilities. Unlike soldiers, Counters can roam freely the Counterside or High-level Corrupted Areas. Their name comes from their eponymous Watch which "counts down" the amount of Counter Reality Force they have left before they start succumbing to the effects of corruption in an area.

## Description

### Abilities and Equipment

Most Counters share the same basic physical attributes such as super strength and enhanced durability and agility and usually have additional powers that augment their combat capabilities as well as survivability. Among the most common Counter abilities include accelerate healing, firepower amplification, weapon and body fortification, energy projection, and pyrokinesis. Other Counters may have powers that are rare or unique to them.

While most Counters who use weaponry are equipped with modern standardized weapons (such as firearms), others may have special equipment called "Unique gear" made exclusively for Counters. Such paraphernalia can make a Counter even more powerful than other Counters of the same grade.

#### Counter Reality Force

Counters use the Counter Reality Force (CRF) to resist corruption in a corrupted area. However, the Counter's ability to resist corruption comes from this same pool of strength, and as such must be used sparingly in order to not eventually succumb.

Counters are rated by the Administration Counter standards and given a ranking based on their CRF output. The Administration used to only call up Grade C counters as reserves, but due to a serious manpower shortage, even Grade D counters are being considered for active duty.

### Awakening Collapse

An awakening collapse is a rare phenomenon that occurs when a high-grade Counter receives his powers for the first time. An explosion, usually with a blast radius of few dozen meters, is emitted the person turning and corrupts the surrounding area. People and structures in the vicinity will be damaged, but the newly-awakened Counter will be unharmed.

Yoo Mina's awakening collapse is unique in that the blast radius of her explosion was more than kilometer long.

## Watch

A Counter's Watch counts down whenever a Counter uses their unique abilities, emit energy, resists corruption or "defies reality". The Watch measures a Counter's CRF and can be recharged using eternium crystals. As staying in the Counterside is inherently hazardous, the watch continuously moves little by little. When a Counter's Watch reaches zero, the Counter will turn into a Shadow.

A person can obtain a Counter Watch if they go through a life-changing and usually (but not always) traumatic event. When this happens, the Watch will suddenly appear on the person's wrist. Simply having a pre-existing watch does not automatically turn a person into a Counter; a Watch "chooses" who has the potential to become a Counter, and thus it is useless to the unprepared. Otherwise, a watch will usually break or disappear after its original owner dies.

As their nomenclature suggests, watches usually take the form of wearable timepieces, but this is not always the case; for example, Yuna Springfield's Watch takes form of a magical staff.

## Trivia

* The Administration's Counters can apparently be subdued using illegally-crafted mind-disturbance jammers, which sometimes forces them to rely on TASKFORCE counters.

## References

1. ↑ **Sound Beta**: Rated Grade C by the Administration Counter standards.

**Sound Alpha**: Grade C? /

**Sound Alpha**: Isn't that about the same level as the reserves? /

**Sound Beta**: Back in the day, yes. /

**Sound Beta**: But now, even Grade D Counters are being considered for active duty. /

Sound Alpha: How unfortunate... We must be seriously lacking in manpower.

-Yoo Mina/Counter Case/Transcript
2. ↑ **Hilde:** Whenever you resist corruption, when you use superhuman strength, emit energy... Or whatever it is that goes against reality, the Watch will count down. On the other hand, when you recharge the Watch with Eternium crystals, it'll count up.
-Episode 1/Act 3/Transcript#3-1. Obsession
3. ↑ *Proof of Heart*, Act 1–4 Interlude #2
4. ↑ Seo Yoon — Counter Case #3: [Appendix] Restored Video #1
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 *Great Witch's Legacy*, Act 1-1 — Basement Excursion 1
6. ↑ Currently, a new organization calling themselves ████ has occupied a new city.

They possess electromagnetic pulse generators to neutralize military equipment,

as well as illegally-crafted mind-disturbance jammers in response to our **Counters**. - Task 3 2-1 New City Terrorism Free Contact/Transcript