"Honestly, that sounds pretty rough for the gods in question," Gen said, who could have empathy for them in this kind of hypothetical situation - even if he didn't believe any actually existed back in his own reality. In Nico's, they were clearly actual people with their own feelings and thoughts. "People are terribly fickle, after all. You'd be relying on them keeping up with old traditions - that's always a vulnerable tactic."

He smiled just a little, sympathetic instead of amused. "No, don't apologize for speaking on this subject. It's fascinating, my dear. It seems you've already been through a lot."

Despite the fact the kid was ... what, maybe fifteen? At oldest?

He hummed thoughtfully. "The people of Ishigami Village had their own gods, though they weren't western ones. Perhaps those would've become real under your theory. And most people on my Earth currently were those we woke up, by a very wide margin. They would remember whatever they worshiped before."