Gods are the ones that assign themselves that position. It's not about belief.

[Having power over others places them above others in a typical hierarchy, but gods seek to go even further beyond that. Akira huffs, indignant.]

But gods are just as fallible as humans. They may hold more power, but that doesn't mean their decisions are just or their logic sound. They're only "higher" because they're that much harder to sock in the face.