Signum turns at the loud and familiar smacking sound, seeing Marisa on the ground and the other girl she'd half-been paying attention to nowhere to be seen. While not as good as a punch to her own face would have been, her rational mind does start to reassert itself a bit.

"Hayate...did you come back just to hurt me?" Signum asks, turning sadly to the girl again. "You didn't need to. If I'm not worth your attention, I'm not worth your attention. But...what you're actually saying," she pauses, taking a deep breath.

"You're not Hayate," she concludes. "Hayate is the most kind and unselfish person in the world. Even if she heaped on me all the abuse and scorn I deserve...she wouldn't give up on helping people out of pettiness."

She looks up, finally meeting the phantom's eyes. "I'm a failure as a knight, but I at least raised her that well. Now you have until I finish helping that girl to begone, before I strike you down for daring to use my Master's form!" she concludes, turning on her heel away from the stunned-looking illusion to go check on Marisa.

"Miss...Marisa. Are you alright?" she asks, even as the fake Hayate disappears and more shadows swirl behind her.