Demon Slayer Chapter 126

Demon Slayer Chapter 126, titled "Daybreak and First Light," brings the Swordsmith Village Arc to a climactic conclusion, showcasing Nezuko Kamado's incredible sacrifice, Tanjiro's unwavering resolve, Hantengu's ultimate defeat, and a miraculous revelation that sends shockwaves through the demon world. As the first light of dawn signals daybreak, Tanjiro realizes the impending danger to Nezuko. He desperately tries to tell her to hide in the shade, but his voice fails him, causing Nezuko to run towards him in worry. Just then, he notices Hantengu's decapitated body still moving and attacking the innocent villagers. Tanjiro sees "Resentment" written on the body's tongue, where "fear" should have been, a chilling realization that the body he decapitated was not Hantengu's true form, prolonging the desperate battle against the Upper Rank Four demon.

Before Tanjiro can take any action to locate the real body, the sun's rays reach Nezuko, causing her to start burning. Tanjiro instinctively shields her with his body, frantically telling her to shrink, but she continues to burn. With all their allies too far away to help and Hantengu's body closing in on the villagers, Tanjiro faces an impossible choice: save Nezuko or protect the innocent. In a heart-wrenching act of self-sacrifice, Nezuko bravely kicks Tanjiro in the direction of the villagers, smiling at him as she seemingly sacrifices herself to save them. Tanjiro cries out in anguish, but driven by Nezuko's sacrifice, he resolves to find Hantengu's true body. He uses his heightened sense of smell, locating the real body within the fake body's heart. The fake body has already captured the villagers, but Tanjiro swiftly cuts off its arm before it can harm them. As Hantengu's previous human life memories flash before his eyes, Tanjiro, with unwavering determination, finally slices off the demon's true head, ending its reign of terror.

Tanjiro collapses to the ground, overcome with sadness and exhaustion. He has won, but at the devastating cost of his sister's life. However, the grateful villagers shake him and point behind him. Standing in the direct sunlight, healed and completely uninjured, is Nezuko. Tanjiro stares in utter disbelief as his sister, now immune to sunlight, utters her first words since becoming a demon: "M-M-Morning." This miraculous development sends shockwaves through the demon world, instantly alerting Muzan Kibutsuji to Nezuko's newfound immunity and setting a new, terrifying goal for him. Demon Slayer Chapter 126 culminates in a bittersweet victory, the defeat of a formidable Upper Rank demon, and the profound, world-altering revelation of Nezuko's immunity to sunlight, a pivotal moment that reshapes the future of the Demon Slayer Corps and the battle against Muzan in the captivating narrative of the Demon Slayer manga.