Ka cika wannan jumlar: A wannan lokacin ne sojojin Bulgeriya suka sake kai wa ƙasar Byzantine hari. Basil, duk da haka, ya ga wannan a matsayin wata dama: ta hanyar murkushe sojojin Bulgaria, zai iya ba da izinin mulkinsa a gida yayin da yake rage darajar rikodin soja na Phokades da Bardas Phokas ya yi a gabas, saboda wannan shine babban abin da ke tallafawa tallafi, shi da kansa ya zama matalauci. Ya tashi zuwa yammacin gaba a cikin 986 kuma ya isa Serdica a lokacin rani. Ya kewaye birnin har kwana ashirin kafin ya damu saboda jita-jitar da ke yawo cewa Melissenos yana shirin juyin mulki a babban birnin. A ranar 16 ga watan Agusta, duk da haka, sojojin Bulgarian Tsar Samuel suka yi masa kwanton bauna a
Ƙofofin Trajan. Sojojinsa sun watse, kuma Basil ya sha kunya ta hanyar shan kashi. Ba wai kawai Samuil ya sami damar sake dawo da yawancin tsohuwar Daular Bulgaria ba, kamar yadda ya kasance kafin cin nasarar John I Tzimiskes, amma goyon baya ga mulkin Basil ya rabu biyu a Constantinople da gabas. Mafi muni ma, labarin wannan mummunar shan kashi zai kai har zuwa birnin Bagadaza, inda sarakunan Buyid suka ba tsohon ɗan tawayen nan Bardas Skleros mafaka.