Though you might not have realised it, Bill, but that sort of "true power shit" actually suits very well Sting and Shadow, and the whole guild of Sabertooth. It's a bunch obsessed with looking like the strongest for the sake of looking like the strongest. It's full of fancy mages and techniques but they are all standing on nothing solid at all because they aren't fighting and developing for any greater purpose, not even to develop themselves but just giving the impression of being unbeatable. After all, they would get kicked out otherwise. Such an environment doesn't encourage anybody to seek true strength in a steadfast way, but by any quick and possibly shady means available. That means fancy techniques yet an inability to put them to good use or to keep fighting under unexpected pressure. The simple fact Sabertooth is like it is tells it has never faced any kind of crises comparable to those Fairy Tail has gone through.

This is like putting greenhorns with the latest toys against battle scarred veterans with all their knowledge, experience, toughness, and battle proven weapons.

In short, if this fight lacked a bit of thrill, it was very successful at demonstrating the fundamental difference between Fairy Tail and Sabertooth.