Act II takes the intensity and the development of our dearest Seidou players to the next level. The author's talent for telling an exciting yet well-grounded sports journey is evident in every single panel. It's honestly tough to go through 5 chapters without having your heart pumping like crazy. This manga had also handled the transition its prequel really well, making for a really immersive read. It's hard to find parts where Act II didn't improve upon Act I (except the cover arts) - unfortunately, except for its pacing for character building. Most side characters have some kind of sob story crammed in for a cheap attempt to provoke emotions, only to immediately move on from said character. It also happened in Act I, but hell, it got cranked up to 11 here, and even some Seidou players are victims of this. I will say, however, that if you have ever partook in sports, or be passionate about something, you will probably find yourself in one of the characters here. And for that alone, I cannot fault this manga's pacing, even though some of its arcs were ehhh.
Regrettably, one horrible thing that Act II replicated perfectly from its prequel was its blueballed ending (pun intended). It's set up so that there could be an Act III, but if there isn't, this ending would be decently serviceable. Don't get your hopes up for another sequel though, given the length of the series in general and how there's really little room left for the development of our beloved Seidou team.
The destination does not undermine the wonderful journey though. Even with the limitations of baseball as a sport, Ace of Diamond - Act II acts as a stellar continuation of one of the best sport mangas ever. What I would have given to follow this manga in real time, to suffer its cliffhangers and climaxes in full.