CPhill, one of the moderators might be able to help you in this question, but is not online right now.
As x → inf x4 dominates, so tan-1(x2-x4) → tan-1(-x4)
Now tan is opposite over adjacent and this goes to infinity as adjacent goes to zero. As the adjacent goes to zero the angle goes closer and closer to pi/2 (90°). This means in the limit as the argument goes to infinity, the angle whose tangent is infinity is pi/2. In the case we have here, the argument goes to -infinity, so the angle is whose tangent is -infinity is -pi/2.