After Weapon History, the five friends went to the back grounds. When Xanthor met them on the back grounds, everyone looked puzzled, but happy that they’d have someone who new what they were doing.
“I am sorry to inform you that I will not be your Battling Practice teacher,” he said.
A massive sound of ‘boo’s’ broke out across the area.
“However,” Xanthor said, above the noise, “I will be teaching you until we can find a replacement for the professor who has just retired. I think that we’ll be seeing each other for just the rest of the month. By then, we will have found a replacement.”
“Why do we need a replacement?” asked Tai.
“Because I am far too old to be teaching this class to you younger and faster pupils.”
“Come on. You can’t be that old. I bet that you can put up a pretty good fight.”
“No, I think that I’ll just stick to instructing rather than demonstrating.”
“Well, what if someone challenged you?”
“I have always been stubborn, so I guess that I’d accept the challenge.” said Xanthor.
As soon as those words left Xanthor’s lips, Tai’s wings flew open, and he was soaring at Xanthor.
“I’m challenging you!” he said, quickly, and then threw a punch right at Xanthor’s face.
Xanthor’s wings shielded the punch, and then they caught on fire. Tai hit, jumped back, and then threw a hard gust of wind at the fire, putting it out. Xanthor’s wings parted, and he merely smiled.
“This is gonna be good,” Kai whispered to Chance.
“Young man, are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Xanthor asked Tai.
“Yep, I’m about to kick you’re a-,” but before Tai could finish, Xanthor had vanished.
Boom! Tai was hit in the back with a monstrous fireball.
“Less talking, Mr. Harkort,” Xanthor said, and he vanished again.
“Cheap shot!” said Tai, furious with himself for not being on guard.


Wham! Tai was hit down to the ground with a massive fist. He was actually losing a fight! But he knew what he had to do. He stood up and zoned out from everything else. He was listening as hard as he cold. Suddenly, he heard Xanthor’s foot tap the ground behind him. Tai dove forward. He landed on his hand and jumped back to meet Xanthor’s chest with a dropkick. Xanthor went soaring into the air, and then he dropped like a rock. Instead of hitting the ground, though, he pulled at the last minute toward Tai. Tai knew what was going to happen, so he opened his wings. Xanthor charged at Tai, but Tai jumped at the last second to avoid contact. He made several vines come from the ground and grab Xanthor’s arms and legs. Then, Xanthor surprised everyone. His entire body caught on fire, burning away the roots. Then, his body still on fire, he rushed at Tai again. Tai put his arms out to block Xanthor’s attack, but it never came. He moved his arms, so he could see. Xanthor was gone. He put his arms down, and then a knee came from behind him so hard that he flew, with great speed, right into the ground. Tai wasn’t moving. He had made a small crater where he now lay. Xanthor lowered himself right above Tai.
“Are you willing to accept defeat?” Xanthor asked, but Tai didn’t respond.
He looked as if he were unconscious. Xanthor hovered right above his body, then Tai’s body caught on fire! Xanthor had a look of shock on his face. Tai’s eyes opened, and then he sent five fireballs at Xanthor. Xanthor got hit with three, and then he dodged the other two. When he was about to subdue Tai, he got pummeled with rocks that Tai had pulled from the earth. As Xanthor increased the amount of space between Tai and himself, he heard thunder. He looked up, and the once sunny sky was immediately turning dark grey. Xanthor knew that Tai was responsible. Raindrops the size of Xanthor’s fist began to fall. Then, Xanthor’s fire was gone, and he couldn’t fly in raining weather, so he descended. When he got to Tai, Tai’s fire was still strong. The rain drops were hitting everywhere except within arm’s length of Tai. Tai looked at Xanthor and smiled. Xanthor bent over into a bow, as a sign of defeat. The sky turned light blue again, and Tai’s fire extinguished.
“Congratulations, Mr. Harkort. I surrender to you” Xanthor said.