Things Are Gonna Get Real Flashy!!

The thirty-eighth anime episode, the twelfth of season two, confirms that the oiran Warabihime is a demon and follows the search closing in on her. Tengen rushes to find Hinatsuru, who has been moved away for her illness, and discovers her bound by Daki's belt. Meanwhile Tanjiro, struggling against Daki, breaks through by switching to an advanced technique he can barely sustain.

Tengen reaches the Kirimise quarter, frees Hinatsuru from the demonic sashes, and gives her an antidote, learning she had poisoned herself to escape but was held by a gifted belt. He sends her out of Yoshiwara, then locates the underground battle by sound and breaks through the earth with Sound Breathing First Form. Below, Daki demands Tanjiro reveal how many slayers there are and mocks his damaged blade.

Recognizing that Water Breathing does not suit him, Tanjiro commits to the Hinokami Kagura. In a flashback he recalls collapsing during training because he could not chain its forms together. Now he strings several forms against Daki, including Raging Sun, Fake Rainbow, and Fire Wheel, startling her with his sudden sharpness before fatigue overtakes him. He uses Recovery Breathing to fend off her obi and realizes that raising his body temperature with the Hinokami Kagura breathing gives him his edge, recalling Kiyo's worry over his persistent fever.

Beneath the Ogimoto House, Inosuke dislocates his joints to slither into a hidden chamber filled with bones and victims wrapped in obi, including Zenitsu. A sentient obi attacks, and though Inosuke frees many captives he struggles to cut the wriggling sash. Makio and Suma arrive to help, then Zenitsu joins with Thunder Breathing, and finally Tengen blasts in from above and severs the remaining sashes at once. He apologizes to his wives, and a flashback shows how he taught them to value their own lives above the mission. Spinning his blades, Tengen declares that things are about to get flashy.

The second eyecatcher recreates a manga chapter cover. The anime adds an extended sequence showing Tanjiro's difficulty in chaining consecutive Hinokami Kagura forms, along with Inosuke and Zenitsu sparring; the manga only shows a pained Tanjiro being helped by his friends. Much of the episode reunites the separated team and shifts the battle's momentum toward the slayers.