His arrival would mean more tensions in the rebel camp because Alusian could also claim the throne and he kept his origin in secret until he found supporters.

Peter II gave Alusian a 40,0000-strong army to attack Thessalonica, the second largest city in the Byzantine Empire.

Alusian proved to be an incapable general: when he reached the city he attacked the Byzantine army with his tired troops.

After that Alusian tried to continue the rebellion, but defeated once more, he decided to change sides and abandoned his army again, an act that was richly rewarded in Constantinople.

Although blind, Peter Delyan faced the Byzantines with the rest of the Bulgarian army but was defeated in the battle of Ostrovo later that year and the uprising was crushed.