A Dull Glow in the Midst of Despair

 is the first chapter of the second volume and the fifth chapter overall of Shingeki no Kyojin.

Summary
Attempting to repair the damage from the Colossal Titan and deal with the titans that have entered through the hole, the Stationary Guard and trainees are spread thin. Atop the wall, troops unleash a volley of cannon fire on the approaching titans to no avail. On the ground, the vanguard has been eliminated.

Connie finds Armin still in shock from what has happened. As Connie is trying to get answers, they are joined by Ymir who wonders why they bothered to save Armin. This outrages Connie who lunges towards Ymir only to be stopped by Christa. She manages to diffuse the situation and and Armin gathers himself and joins the rear guard, while Connie and the others join the front. Distraught, Armin tries to make sense of the situation. He recalls Eren and Mikasa coming to his rescue while being bullied and wishes he could have had that kind of strength. Still on his way to the rear, he notices Hannah crouching over a bifurcated and obviously, lifeless Franz. In disbelief, she is attempting to reanimate him, to no avail. The sight is too much, causing him break down again; Armin is at his limit.

In another part of town, citizens are turning on each other in the confusion. A fight breaks out when a merchant's wares are too large to fit through the gate. Instead of stepping aside and letting citizens go first, he insists that the merchandise goes through as he says it's more valuable. A titan is seen quickly closing in on the crowd. Just as it seems all hope is gone, Mikasa overtakes the titan and makes short work of it. With her comrades giving their lives to protect them, she sees the goods blocking the gate and asks why the evacuation is taking so long. The merchant sharply replies that it is their jobs to do so. Reversing that line of thought against him, she counters that if their deaths save lives, then perhaps his would also. Briefly calling her bluff, he changes his mind when he sees she's serious. With the merchandise out of the way, the grateful refugees are now able to escape to safety. When a small girl turns and thanks Mikasa, it causes her to flash to her childhood.

In an isolated cabin, Mikasa's mother is seen bandaging Mikasa's arm and giving a brief explanation of the symbol of their clan. She tells Mikasa that one day, she will pass it down to her children which causes her to ask her mother where children come from. Trying to avoid the awkward question, her mother attempts to pass it off to her father, who then says to ask Dr. Yeager when he arrives. After a knock at their door, the scene changes to Dr. Yeager and Eren standing outside the door. Dr. Yeager is preparing to introduce his son to Mikasa and hopes they'll get along, as there aren't many children around the area. When no one answers the door, Dr. Yeager appears worried and lets himself in, calling to see if anyone is in the house. As the door opens, he sees the lifeless bodies of Mikasa's mother and father.